Chapter 4: Day 1 May 16, 2014
Elizabeth watched the sun rise from her bed. She'd not slept at all after Darcy had left her because her mind simply would not quiet long enough for her to drift off. Her body felt like someone had scrubbed her roughly from head to toe with a loofa making her feel surprisingly tender, yet taunt with anxious need. Over the last six hours, the shock of her visitor and his offer had not lessened. It was impossible to think of anything or anyone save him.
Elizabeth felt alone. She normally could hash out any moral dilemma with her father. Duels had fallen out of fashion in modern times, but she definitely could see her father getting down one of the antique guns from his study. That is, if he could find the gun lock key. Her mother was out. She could just imagine her reaction. "It's not like you have any other prospects. Being with Will for the next three months could throw you in the path of other eligible men." Elizabeth rubbed her temples feeling the beginning of the headache she had every intention of avoiding when she was in the kitchen last night. Her mother, she suspected, would try to get her to write about the experience. Her mother's last three books had all stayed on the NY Times Best Seller list for impressive lengths of time.
Briefly, she considered telling Charlotte, but her best friend was not one who could keep a secret. She'd tell Marjorie Lucas, who would just tell her mom. Glancing at her cell phone, she knew she could not call the only person who she could tell. Jane. But, her sister deserved to enjoy her honeymoon. Elizabeth knew if she told Jane about Darcy's offer, she would not be comfortable accepting the man's hospitality. She wondered what his estate in England looked like. It was probably one of those over indulgent buildings with those garish gardens surrounding it on all sides.
Her phone rang. Here it was. The call she'd been dreading since she left the reception hall.
"Hi, mom!" Elizabeth tried to sound pleasant.
"Vince asked me for your number last night." She shut her eyes. They were going to just dive right in without any warm up laps this morning. "I gave it to him of course."
"Of course, you did."
"Don't take that tone with me, young lady." It didn't bother pointing out that she hadn't taken a tone. "Now that Jane is happily married, it is time that I help you out." It hadn't been twenty-four hours yet. It caused physical pain to swallow the groan that rose within her. "Vince is from good stock. I wouldn't mind having his family connected with ours. You know they have that place in the Hamptons. The wedding could be held there."
Elizabeth was sure she'd missed something. "Whose wedding?"
"Yours. Vince and you." Her mother sounded as if she considered Elizabeth daft. "Of course, I don't know why he wanted your number after your behavior last night with him. Really, Lizzy, did you have to look like he was performing a dental experiment on you when he kissed you?"
"As far as the kiss was concerned, I have you know that he tasted like liquor and it was gross."
"I'll be sure to tell Glenda to make sure he brings his toothbrush on your date next weekend."
"Mom, don't you dare!" Elizabeth started, praying her mother did not tell Vince what she had said. Damn, Will Darcy, for putting her in such a tailspin. "Wait. Did you just say I had a date with Vince next weekend?"
"I did." Her mother was smiling. "And, you are welcome. You made quite the impression on Vince. He couldn't stop talking about how beautiful you turned out."
It was times like this that Elizabeth wished she were an orphan. Some kids had all the luck! "Mom," she tried mightily to hang onto her temper. Last night with Darcy and now this. Her handle on reality was starting to get a little slippery. "I can't go on a date with Vince this weekend. I have other plans."
"Oh, did that other fella ask you out?"
Her brow furrowed. "What other fella?"
"You know. The tall dark drink of water. The smart one. What's his name? You know, Charles' friend." Elizabeth squirmed. Did she really want her mother on her case about Darcy for the foreseeable future? "I considered him for you at the engagement party, because you two looked stunning sitting together. I could just envision my grandchildren. But, he seemed kind of boring and that wouldn't do for you at all. You need someone who can keep you in line. I'm glad he changed my mind at the reception."
"What did Will do to change your mind at the reception?"
"Well, besides the way he danced with you, you remember what I told you when you were getting ready for Prom. You can tell a lot about the way a man is going to be in bed by the -"
"Yes, mom. I remember."
"If he hadn't danced with you as if he were seducing you right there on the dance floor," her mom paused for breath, "The way he fought for the garter after Vince caught it would have convinced me. He has some mettle! You know you always have be careful of the quiet ones. I knew this boy in college who was a master at - "
"Mom, that's enough. I don't want to know about your college conquests. I haven't even had my breakfast yet."
"Hm." Her mother made that tsking sound.
"Mom, you have to be mistaken. Trust me. Will didn't fight anyone last night for Jane's garter. I would have noticed."
"I know what I saw with my own two eyes. It was all the old biddies talked about for most of the night. And, you know they like to talk! Jeremy caught it all on video if you want to see for yourself." Her mother said something to her sister Lydia, before continuing, "Jeremy said he's done hundreds of weddings and never seen such a scuffle."
It couldn't have been Darcy. Calm, collected Darcy? He wouldn't have reacted that way in public. Not for a million years.
"That man couldn't take his eyes off of you when you danced with Vince. You should have seen his face when Vince kissed you."
Unconsciously, Elizabeth traced her lips with her fingers remembering an entirely different kiss from the previous night. She stopped when she realized what she was doing.
"So, did he ask you out?" Her mom asked.
Elizabeth swallowed waiting for inspiration. If anyone would understand what she was going to do, it would be her mom. Getting paid for sex in the interest of science was something she'd been doing quite successfully for decades. She decided to keep things vague. "I'm actually meeting up with Will today at noon. Please don't make a big thing out of it."
"Well, well. He certainly is moving fast. He probably got jealous watching you with Vince last night. I knew you weren't beautiful for nothing." Her mother sounded pleased. "I'll let Vince know you are busy this weekend, but we'll keep the fact you are going on a date with another man to ourselves for the time being. Can't hurt for you to play a little hard to get. Besides, it is good to have a spare in the wings if you know what I mean." Elizabeth shut her eyes. Unfortunately, she did.
She distracted her mom by asking after the cruise. Before hanging up, she confirmed twice that her parents were leaving in two days time and would be gone for three weeks. Suddenly Alaska didn't seem far enough away.
"I expect a full update when I get back. Bring Will by for dinner. That would give your father and I a chance to get to know him." Her mother suggested. "We'll watch the video of the wedding and reception too. It might give your new man some motivation to secure what he wants."
Elizabeth prayed silently. Darcy did not lack motivation in getting what he wanted. She knew first hand. Again, her finger traced her lower lip replaying their conversation from last night.
*)*
"No videos, Will. If I agree to do this, I must insist there will be no videos." It had been her ultimatum. A line in the sand. She didn't have much experience in negotiations but she knew her own limitations.
He shook his head. "Be realistic, Elizabeth. I need the videos to document our progress. I'm worried I'll be too distracted by you to document the data properly." Darcy assured her, "You don't have to worry. I will keep the videos secure at all times. I have more to lose than you do if they get leaked to the public."
Darcy had a point. If their arrangement ever became public, his reputation would be ruined. His company's squeaky clean image would forever be tainted. In this day and age, she'd come out relatively unscathed. I mean one look at him and people would completely understand what had been in it for her.
"No one else will ever see them if you are worried I'd show them to someone else. I keep my private collection in my safe in my lab. No one else has the combination."
How could he still possibly shock her any further? "A private collection? And just how many porn videos have you stared in exactly? Do you have a stage name? Like Free Willy? Darcy Digger? Could I have seen your work?"
He sighed loudly, as if he were the one being put upon. "Besides the videos I will make with you, I only have research videos from private interviews I conducted earlier this year at strip clubs. No porn."
"Private interviews at strip clubs?" She giggled. Maybe William Darcy was not that different from other men. "Do you mean you filmed women giving you lap dances? I hope they were high end establishments. I can't imagine making anything worth filming unless the women were wearing nipple tassels. They make all the rap videos pop." She held up her hands as if she were looking through a camera.
He was not amused, which was odd because she felt herself warming up to the subject. She dearly loved to laugh at the ridiculous. She expected him to ignore her silliness, but he surprised her by answering her in that dry fashion of his. "Yes, I do mean lap dances, Elizabeth. I don't recall any nipple tassels."
She chewed her lip. "Did any of the lovely ladies, I am assuming they were all ladies, make you flog your log?"
"By flogging your log, I imagine you mean did I masturbate?" She nodded. She might enjoy watching something so 70s if he was the main attraction. "No, they didn't." He stopped her from speaking by adding, "They were all women. I am not bisexual or homosexual in any way. I didn't engage in any sexual acts with them unless you count some dry humping."
Silence sprung up between them as her mind raced down dangerous paths wondering what dry humping him would actually be like. He could talk a good game, but was he really as good as he claimed? Was he into really kinky shit? Like tying her up? Was his lab painted red? Did he own a pair of torn up jeans? Okay, she'd just finished the Shades of Grey trilogy. Glancing at his large, well formed hands, a light spanking might be worth exploring her wilder side.
"So, our videos would be the only ones that you have that would contain sexual acts?"
"Elizabeth," He rubbed his hands on his legs then stood as if he had a cramp he needed to work out. "Just talking to you about our arrangement stimulates me to a nearly painful degree. It is getting late. What is your decision?"
Stimulates to a nearly painful degree? Nail. Head. That's exactly how she felt! And, here she'd feared they'd never have anything in common. She definitely could relate to his current predicament. She wondered if the time frame for the sex trial was firm or was it negotiable in any way? "Eight weeks before we actually have sex? Have I got that right?"
He looked irritated having to cover a topic they had already discussed. "As I stated already, if the other experiments go well and there are no unforeseen setbacks we'll start having sex in mid-July."
Elizabeth frowned, it sounded terribly far away. Did he have an actual date in mind? She had to have something to put in her planner. She'd have to make plans. Get her hair done. Buy a proper nightgown. Get a mani/pedi. Oh, and a bikini wax. She had to be ready for any close ups Mr. Demille here wanted.
Another idea joined on the heels of her other thoughts. Sex with Darcy would be totally different than sex she'd ever had with any other man. With him, she could be completely uninhibited. She could be as honest and demanding as she wanted. She wouldn't be bogged down with thoughts of what he might think of her afterwards or if he would call her. She'd never have his respect, but knowing she didn't was liberating. She could be bad. She could be nasty. She could try anything she desired with him. And, since he was only interested in her orgasms, it would be in his best interest to comply with her wishes. When had she ever been with a man so focused on giving her pleasure?
A tremor went through her body making her exhale loudly. "After the ninety days, we'll go our separate ways?" She added, reiterating, "I'll never have to see you again?"
"While I can't ensure that we will never run into each other after the conclusion of our experiment, I cannot imagine that we will see each other often. Without the weekly dinners, I don't know when else we would happen upon one another."
Elizabeth knew he was right. She never associated with wealthy scientists who owned their own multi-million dollar businesses before so it didn't seem very likely she would stumble across another one in the future. She suspected they were probably an endangered species of some sort. They probably hung out in odd places she never patronized. Plus, it would be easy to convince Jane she wanted to end the Monday night dinners. In fact, based on the fact she'd been quite verbose in her loathing of the man across from her, her sister wouldn't be too surprised she would want to avoid Darcy in the future.
The best part was that no one would be the wiser about their little affair. They weren't hurting anyone. She would have enough money to put a serious dent in her college loans or she could buy a car in this decade or she could open the restaurant she had dreamed of owning since she was a child. She'd have options she currently didn't have. Making plans for an unexpected windfall was delightful. The opportunity to be out from under the oppressive cloud her unemployment had brought to her life was enticing all its own. Darcy clearly had no expectations of her other than his finished doll. He had no desire to see her after the ninety days were exhausted. She'd never have to be reminded about it. This would be a win, win for each of them!
Darcy looked distinctly uncomfortable as if her contemplation made him nervous. He sat down next to her. It was distracting to have him so close after being given a peek under the hood of his mind. He ruffled his curls and offered, "If it helps, just think of the next three months as an extended one night stand, Elizabeth. I'm sure you've experienced enough of them to give you some frame of reference to fall back on."
It was as if someone had dropped her bodily into the Arctic Ocean. Shards of frozen outrage sliced clear through to her rational part of her brain that had apparently been sleeping since his arrival. What was she doing? How could she actually be considering his offer? She could not agree to the arrangement for so many reasons. Number one being she did not like him. Could not like him! She wouldn't make ninety days. She barely could take him for ninety minutes before wanting to kill him for some rude, thoughtless comment.
Uncomfortable at his close proximity, she stood giving herself breathing room. His eyes followed her. His teeth worried his lip as he waited for her decision.
"While I will admit your offer is tempting, Will, I find I cannot accept it. I thank you, but you'll simply need to find someone else for the job."
"Someone else?" Darcy looked confused by her decision. He blinked rapidly as if his motherboard was frying. "This is all the consideration my offer is going to get?" He rubbed his lips with the back of his hand. "It's not like I'm asking you to marry me or spend the rest of your life with me. It's only ninety days." He glanced about her apartment. "It's not like you have anything more important to do with your time."
Wow!
Elizabeth was extremely grateful that the real William Darcy had returned. His charming personality moved her to the door. "Don't you worry about me, Will. I'm sure I'll find a way to occupy myself."
Darcy did not follow her. Instead, he tapped his foot impatiently against the ground. It sounded strangely like the sound her old desktop computer made when it was booting up. The tapping stopped as suddenly as it had begun. "A hundred thousand dollars."
"My answer is still no. No amount of money is going to change my mind." As funny as this would all seem later to her, Elizabeth felt a twinge of guilt. His doll was pretty important to him. No matter how he had just insulted her, she knew that for him this was a serious matter. "You don't have to worry about me saying anything to anyone. I'll take this discussion to my grave. Really, even if I told anyone about this, it is not like anyone would believe me anyway." He still had not risen to leave. Elizabeth resorted to humor to cover her growing nervousness. "I really do hope you have success in your search for an accommodating vagina."
Finally, there was an identifiable emotion on his face. He stood and began walking toward her gracefully, moving like a panther making her feel like cornered prey.
"Are you going to actually stand there and make sport of me, Elizabeth?" His eyes blazed. His face had hardened. He was mad. There was no way she could misinterpret it. "I could have kept my agenda secret. I could have simply went about seducing you to get what I wanted while keeping you entirely in the dark. But, such deceit is beneath me. I felt it unethical. A participant in an experiment should know the parameters. I didn't want you developing any romantic notions about us, forming any attachment to me. I was thinking of you when I offered you money in exchange for your time."
"You were thinking of me?" She snickered in astonishment. Her fight or flight instinct took over. She wasn't going to leave. This was her home. "You wanted to keep me from forming romantic notions about you? I have news for you. You didn't have to try so hard. I hadn't know you but a few hours before I knew you'd be the last man on earth I'd ever want to form an attachment." Not caring that the storm outside was becoming frightful, she opened her front door. Immediately, she was blasted with stinging rain. She waved between them. "This is a hopeless endeavor. Please leave. You have to see that we're incompatible."
Darcy moved to the door, moving slowly with his implacability. He stopped. Then, without any warning whatsoever, he pounced, pulling her towards him. One of his hands held her waist prisoner while his other roughly tugged on her hair forcing her head backwards. She'd opened her mouth to object when he assaulted her mouth roughly with his own. Nothing about his kiss was gentle or passive or apologetic. It was resentful and desperate and dangerous. Desire flared in her, everywhere at once. Even as her body grew limp, her response to him was equally combustible, passionate as his. Rain soaked them, but still he raged on against her until she felt dizzy.
Wrenching his mouth from hers, he looked startled and wild. His breathing erratic. His voice raw. "Does that feel like we are incompatible, Elizabeth?"
Instinctively, she shook her head. Concentrating on staying upright, she was not capable of forming thoughts or words.
Raindrops dripped from his hair, down his cheek before falling into her upturned face. He tugged sharply on her hair, his mouth lingered tantalizingly close to hers. He demanded, "Reconsider, Elizabeth."
God, he was sexy when he was angry with her! Her panties were soaked and clearly not from the rain. If one kiss could reduce her to this, what would one night with him be like? Damn all the mounting reasons she should say no, she had to know. As much as she disliked him, as much as he pissed her off, she could not deny the awakening urges his touch created. None of her reasons for saying no added together equaled the want she had for him to take her into his bed. If she had to suffer through two months of his rudeness to get what she ultimately wanted, she was resolved to do whatever it took.
"Yes." Thunder loudly clapped shaking the foundation under her feet. It was as if a gavel had dropped at her agreement. "Yes, I'll participate in the experiment."
In her state, she'd been quite selfish in her consideration. She never spared a thought to how her agreement would affect him. The anger cooled in his eyes, but they no longer seemed as flat as they had in the past. It was as if she could see through his mask finally. There was a tenderness about him. His lashes fluttered, his fingers contracted at the nape of her neck, pressing her forward into him.
He moaned, "Thank God."
It was the only warning she had he was going to kiss her again. Stiffening, she expected another assault, but this time his lips sought to soothe the damage caused by his first. His tongue no longer punished hers, but instead stroked hers in a low, slow sinful caress. After their second kiss ended, Darcy suckled her lower lip before turning his attention to her neck. His hot mouth pressed along the column of her neck until he found her ear. Playfully, he nipped her earlobe causing contractions deep within her.
"Tomorrow. You'll move in with me tomorrow." He pulled back and looked down at her. "Noon. Don't keep me waiting, Elizabeth."
"I won't." She barely recognized her own voice.
*(*
Elizabeth glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten o'clock. She needed to get motivated and pack if she was going to make her noon deadline. She wondered what the precise requirements would be for a vagina muse? Did she wonder around his penthouse apartment in her lingerie all day? Instead, she decided it would probably be best to pack what she would for a vacation. She threw in a bathing suit, regular pajamas, plenty of fresh undies and socks to last her a few weeks. When she was done, trying hard not to rethink her decision, she carried her suitcases to her car.
At Darcy's upscale apartment building deep in the heart of downtown, a doorman greeted her warmly and referred her to the concierge. She had been expected. While the two men stared at her with open curiosity, Darcy joined her in the lobby. He was dressed in a pair of jeans that hugged his yummy derriere and a NYU sweatshirt. As Darcy helped her with the heavier suitcases, she smiled politely to both men and followed him into the elevator that required a special code to access his unit. Other than asking her if she had any problems finding his place, he did not speak more.
When Elizabeth entered the penthouse apartment, Darcy had produced a non-disclosure contract that was seven pages long, double sided and single space. She read it carefully. There was a clause stipulating she would never speak of their arrangement (who would ever believe her) and humorously enough that she would not divulge any secrets she learned about his patented products (as if she would even know what the patented products were). There was also a paragraph that during the course of the experiment she was not permitted to fornicate with any other man. If she wanted, it continued, she could chose another woman as long as he was amenable. She snorted and she let him know with no uncertainty that would not be happening. If he fantasized about two girls at one time then he would have to find someone else. Quickly, he carefully crossed out the paragraph and they both initialed the form.
There was mention of her reimbursement. She would get $30,000 in 30 days, another $30,000 payment in 60 days and the final payment of $40,000 at the conclusion of the experiment. A little more than a 1,000 a day. Not a bad rate at all!
Missing from the document was his promise that none of the experiments or testing would hurt her. He added it with the same decisiveness he had removed the clause about other partners. When she objected again to the video equipment, he shut his eyes and sighed heavily. He struck the paragraphs that dealt with that aspect of the scientific experiment and they initialed again. Finally, the agreement was to her satisfaction. They both signed and dated.
After giving her a copy of the contract to her, Darcy passed her a key card that provided her access to the penthouse and the luxury floor. It was terribly awkward for a moment before he told her he needed to return to his lab. In fact from the way he was behaving, Elizabeth would bet he was slightly annoyed at the distraction her arrival had caused. Sliding on a white lab coat, it was clear he had been working. Looking much like she imagined a real life Flint Lockwood would, his coat bore his name and Darcy Electronics on the front pocket. Hair was askew and there was a pen behind his ear. He looked unbelievably adorable.
Resisting the urge to smooth his hair, she put her copy of the contract in her purse. "Can I see it?"
"It? Xy is not an it." He'd answered in a quick, prickly voice. She thought he was offended, but it was so hard to tell. He was a duck on a flat lake. Serene picture of calmness, but deep down he was quickly churning. "No, Elizabeth, I don't think it is the best time to show you her presently. When she is further along, I will introduce you to her. Let me take your bags to your room so you can get settled."
His penthouse was fabulous, luxurious and strangely lifeless. Her guest room was lavish. The color pallet lacked creativity - all beiges and browns - but she was glad to see that she had a television and access to WiFi in her room. She unpacked her belongings, surfed the television but nothing interested her.
After taking a long, hot shower and slipping into some comfy sweats (his central air conditioner clearly functioned), Elizabeth went into the kitchen to see what she had to work with for their dinner. The cupboards were full of unhealthy canned items with high sodium content, the refrigerator was full of questionable items - some clearly looked and smelled as if they were some sort of science project all their own.
"This looks like the refrigerator of a man in college. Not a grown ass man." She grumbled to herself.
Dragging the garbage can over to the appliance, she began dumping the contents from Chinese take-out containers and old pizza boxes that showed signs of growing mold. Sniffing the milk and checking the expiration date on his eggs, they joined the pile. Done with that, she drug the bag to the marked disposal and sent the trash down the chute.
Returning to the kitchen, she scrubbed the refrigerator inside and out, cleaned the counter spaced and then made the mistake of opening the microwave. Gross! Didn't he have a maid? If he did, Elizabeth would strongly suggest she be fired. If he didn't, Elizabeth did not mind keeping the kitchen clean. It would be her pleasure. The galley style kitchen was outfitted with a stove that would make most chefs weep. As dirty as the microwave had been, she was surprise to find it was pristine.
Opening the cupboards, she began accessing what sort of cookware she had at her disposal. Disappointed to find only a few small skillets and pots and nothing that resembled a spatula or cooking utensils she pulled out a piece of paper and began making a list of items she would need to survive the upcoming months. A trip back to her apartment was going to be in order. She started another list for essential foodstuffs they would need. His diet definitely needed to be taken into hand. How he managed to look as fit and healthy as he did was amazing considering the discovery in his pantry.
A door opened and when she heard the unmistakable sound of heels on the marble entry way into the penthouse, Elizabeth went to investigate. A young well dressed blonde haired woman stopped dead in her tracks seeing her emerge from the kitchen. "Who are you?" The blonde questioned, clutching at her throat. "What are you doing in my brother's apartment?"
Darcy had a sister?
"I'm Lizzy . . .I'm - " Gee, they never actually covered what her position was actually called. Was she an assistant sexologist? A paid companion? Whatever would she put on her tax forms next year? She settled on, "I'm a friend of Will's." She hoped that was sufficient enough of an explanation.
"Lizzy? Not the Lizzy Bennet?" Elizabeth nodded, wondering how Will's sister could possibly know of her existence. Surely, he hadn't told her about the real reason for her presence here. For one awkward moment, Elizabeth thought he just might have. Then, the beautiful girl smiled. "I'm Georgiana, but you can call me Georgie. Everyone does. Is my brother here with you?"
"Yes, he's puttering around in his lab." Elizabeth pointed to the door that he had gone through hours earlier. "You should go in. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see you."
"Oh, no. You'll learn to never interrupt Will when he is in his lab. He gets so grouchy when you do. You'll understand when he gets fixated on a project to leave him be. And, when a project is not going well - look out!" Georgie laughed lightly, " I just got back in town and thought we could go out for lunch together, but I guess I'll come back another day. I didn't mean to intrude on the two of you."
Elizabeth waved a hand in the air. "Oh, please, you're not intruding at all. I'm not certainly doing anything special; just trying to get Will's kitchen in order."
Georgie glanced at the progress she'd made then looked at Elizabeth's list. Her smile turned cheerier. "I've been worried my brother was destined to die a bachelor."
"More than likely, he is going to die from some poisonous takeout that was well past expiration."
Georgie laughed. "Well, I'm glad you are here finally to sort him out."
"Oh, I'm think you have the wrong idea about why. . . I'm not here for . . ." She stopped suddenly. If she told his sister that they were not romantically involved, how would she explain her presence in his penthouse? It was probably safer letting Darcy deal with what they tell his sister.
Just then, Darcy emerged from his lab. He was typing something on a handheld devise as he walked distracted, "Elizabeth, I think we should go out or we can order something in if you are hungry. I haven't had a chance to shop in awhile and - " He dead in his tracks seeing his sister. There was no outward expression at seeing her. His voiced sounded as expressionless as normal. "Georgianna, you're home."
"You were right about Dillon!" Georgie just shook her head. "I found out that he has another girlfriend in Australia. Can you believe it? I was going to go to Pemberley but then I remembered that the newlyweds were there. I thought I'd surprise you, but it looks like you win in the surprise department."
"Well, I am glad you are home. I've missed you very much." Elizabeth did not think he was glad, but Georgiana raced to him hugging him tightly. The younger sibling turned again to include her. "I was just getting to know Lizzy here."
"Yes, Elizabeth - " Darcy slipped his devise in his breast pocket of his lab coat, glancing back and forth between the women as if he were searching for a way to explain her presence. Then, he shrugged. "Elizabeth has agreed to move in with me."
Squealing loudly, Georgie hugged her brother again. Darcy shot her a warning look over her shoulder. What was she going to say? Hey, Georgianna, your freaky brother has hired me to help him make his sex doll he has in the laboratory? Mwahaahahah! From what she had seen from his sister's reaction, somehow she didn't think the younger woman would understand it was all for scientific advancement.
The pretty woman turned to her beaming. "When he talked about you earlier this year, I just had a feeling you'd be the one for him."
"Did you?" Elizabeth she questioned, amused by the blush that tinged Darcy's cheeks.
In the end, the three of them had ended up eating a late lunch at Georgie's favorite restaurant nearby. Elizabeth weathered his sister's questions as best as she could and listened with amusement as Georgie told her stories of Darcy's childhood. It was clear the siblings were close. While waiting on their entrees, she was surprised to learn that they both of their parents had died a few months apart when he was eighteen and she was just twelve. He had raised her by himself taking on the role of brother, mother and father at such a young age. By the time he was twenty-two, he had taken his inheritance and turned it into the company he now helmed.
It was hard for Elizabeth not to be impressed by him. She reached across to him, and after a fraction of hesitation, he took her hand in his, weaving their fingers together.
Georgie leaned her cheek on her palm, probing, "I don't think Will ever told me how you two met."
Darcy answered for them. "Charles and Jane set us up on a blind date. I'll never be able to do enough to repay them for their kind service."
That's right, Elizabeth remembered. The first Monday dinner had actually been a blind date. She'd forgotten. She had been excided at the prospect of meeting him - the brilliant head of Darcy Electronics who was Charles' best friend. She'd taken pains with her appearance. Splurging, she had her hair professionally styled, gotten a manicure and bought a daring new dress that made her feel sophisticated. She'd even baked her great-grandmother's special German chocolate Bundt cake for the occasion. She was in the kitchen slicing them all pieces of the decadent desert when she had overheard the comment about her being only tolerable.
Suddenly, Elizabeth wanted a drink. She pulled her hand from his reliving the insult still from all those months ago. From a passing waiter, she requested a glass of wine.
Casting her a concerned expression, Darcy continued the story telling, embellishing quite a bit of their last several months together. He borrowed heavily from their weekly dinners. His recall of the trivial comments she'd made at the table was incredible. He even sounded convincing as he explained to Georgie how he'd become enamored with her more and more with each weekly meeting. Watching the two siblings together, it was clear that Darcy was fond of his little sister and that her opinion mattered a great deal to him. Why else would he go to the trouble of making it seem like they had been seeing each other for months so that moving in with one another seemed like the natural next step in their relationship? The expression of joy on the young girl's face made Elizabeth guilty. She ordered another glass of wine.
They walked Georgie back to her car and she left after getting Elizabeth to agree to a meeting later in the week for lunch. Reaching the penthouse, Darcy informed her briskly he had stuff in the lab that he needed to tend. Elizabeth indicated that she needed to round up some essentials for the kitchen and there were some groceries she needed if they were going to survive the foreseeable future. He was gone so quickly she was not sure if it even registered she was headed out.
*)*
Unlocking the door to her apartment, she was stopped by her neighbor.
"Elizabeth?" Mrs. Morgan was an elderly spinster woman who liked to talk more than she had patience for today. "You had a delivery while you were out."
"Did I?"
"Yes, I signed for them. I hope you don't mind."
The container was large and bulky. She'd take it back to Darcy's with her other belongings. She adored fresh flowers. They always made her hopeful. Opening the card, it read, "You are enchanting. Could you change your weekend plans? V."
Calling Vince from the car, she thanked him for the flowers and let him know that she had firm plans that could not be broken for the weekend. He was a witty man and his conversation kept her company as she drifted down the aisles at Darcy's local grocery store. Planning their dinners for the rest of the week and trying to find some healthy options he might like for his lunch was daunting. She didn't know much about what Darcy liked to eat other than their limited exposure during their Monday night dinners. He wasn't too picky. Not once had he refused to eat anything she and Jane had prepared. But, she did not know his preferences. If they had been dating, a small voice in the back of her mind, she would know these intimate details about him.
After making her purchases and finding her way back to the penthouse, she lugged the bag of groceries, her flowers and the essentials from her apartment to the elevator. Locating a vase in the kitchen, she filled it with water. She opened the box containing her flowers and paused at the color. Long stem, lilac roses were unique. And, they happened to be her absolute favorite. Vince had to have worked hard to find them. Smiling, she added the plant food to the vase and trimmed the stems to make them uniform. She centered them on the lonely bare kitchen table happy with the overall effect.
As she put the perishables away, she thought how sad the kitchen looked. Even though it held the equipment she would want in her own restaurant, the design was ultramodern and cold. Not a speck of personality in the entire room. She decided tomorrow she would buy something to bring some pizzazz to the room. She put the two bottles of wine she purchased in the chilled wine rack feeling much better now that the appliance was being put to use and placed her assorted apples, oranges and bananas in a large bowl she found in the cupboard.
When she turned, Darcy was watching her from the doorway. He pointed to the flowers. "Who did you get those from?"
"Vince. You remember the guy from the wedding - "
"Oh, garter guy." He frowned. "Did you tell him you were otherwise engaged when you called him to thank him for the flowers?"
She did not meet Darcy's gaze. She felt guilty for enjoying her conversation with the other man.
He crossed his arms. "You were gone a long time."
"Worried about me were you?" She teased, as she put the bags from her purchases in the recycling container.
"No, of course not. I would like to remind you that you aren't permitted to have sexual relations with another man while we are in our contract. I won't share you, Elizabeth."
"I don't need a reminder, Will." Elizabeth cleaned up the trimmings from the flowers. "I didn't see Vince while I was out if that is what you are concerned about."
"I wasn't. You weren't gone that long." Darcy pulled on his lab coat sleeve. "It was simply that I needed you to make a comparison and you weren't here for me to do so. I hope having to look for you when I need you does not become a habit."
Elizabeth squelched the anger that flared at the tone of his voice. She had to go at least 30 days before she got any money. She smiled sweetly at him. "What can I do for you, Will?"
"Hold still." Darcy reached behind her and gently pulled her ponytail free. He massaged her scalp before filling his hands with her hair. His touch felt explorative and gentle. She could not help but remember when he had pulled hard at her locks right before their explosive kiss. She wondered if he ever thought about them kissing. If the memory of it had kept him up all night as it had her? Concentrating, he leaned forward and sniffed. He rubbed a curl between two fingers. All of his senses were fully engaged. After a moment he withdrew his hands from her hair and said in a piqued tone, "It's all wrong."
"I beg your pardon?" Elizabeth stiffened. She couldn't have already disappointed him, right? "Just what about my hair is wrong?"
"I knew it was after sitting next to you at the restaurant." He finally turned to her as if her question had finally registered. "The only thing wrong is that your hair feels like silk when I put my hands in it. And, it smells. . . "he shut his eyes. "Your hair smells like honeysuckles and reminds me of rain. When I put my hand in Xy's hair, it feels like a wig and smells plastic."
Elizabeth smiled faintly as his compliment rang in her ears. It made her feel charitable towards him. He turned to leave presumably for his lab, when she asked, "Will, I was thinking about what to make for dinner tomorrow. What is your favorite dish?"
"I don't care. Make whatever you like." He was grumpy. Things must not be going well. He nodded toward his appliances. "Is the stove alright? They told me that it was what a chef would want."
"It's perfect." Elizabeth turned to the stove before glancing back at him. When had he had a chance to buy it? It was here when she arrived today.
"Good." He nodded, then added, "You are welcome to take it with you when our time is up. Consider it a bonus of sorts." He scratched the back of his neck before checking his watch. "I have some stuff to do. I'm -"
"Going back to your lab." Elizabeth finished good naturedly.
"Yes." He nodded, "I usually work in my lab until well after midnight."
"Xy's a labor of love, then?"
A ripple of emotion crossed his face. "Don't wait up for me. You look tired. You need some rest."
Darcy was true to his word. He did not resurface for the rest of the evening. Alone, she finished a bottle of wine, engaged in a flirtatious stream of texts with Vince, played words with friends with Charlotte and browsed the real estate sites online. There had to be a perfect piece of property for her out there somewhere. After she paid off her student loans and credit cards, she would still have more than half of the money Darcy gave her left to launch her first restaurant. She had to be frugal and plan but she knew she could get a good start on her dream. She'd use the obvious ample free time she'd have at her disposal to start on a business model. This might just very well be the best opportunity of her life!
As tired as Elizabeth was, though, she could not sleep until she heard Darcy return from his lab. Under her door, she saw his shadow pause. Expectations swirled within her. Would he join her? Did she want him to? Would he tell her that he didn't want to wait until July for sex? Would he kiss her again? No to one and all, evidentially, because his shadow after pausing, moved on. Dimly, she heard his door to his bedroom open. Before she succumbed to sleep, she heard his shower going.