Some of you dear readers saw it coming!

The Doll Chapter 8 Part 2 - Day 29 - 31

On Thursday, Elizabeth decided to drop in at her apartment after Darcy left for work. She needed some familiarity after another awkward morning. After three days, she was starting to feel as if he was deliberately trying to push her away. He felt closed off, determined to put distance between them. He was normally reserved. And, she couldn't expect him to be as attentive to her as he had been on their weekend. He had to go back to work. The DARPA Deadline was approaching. She tried to be patient. She tried to be understanding. After all, hadn't Georgie told her that when her brother was consumed with a project that he sometimes became moody? Darcy did moodiness like he did everything he put his mind to. Well. Sighing, she emptied her mailbox and listened to Mrs. Morgan who updated her on all the gossip of their building. It felt good to have someone else carrying the weight of a conversation and she found herself lingering longer than her usual wont with her septuagenarian neighbor.

Eventually she climbed the two flights of stairs and opened the door to her own apartment. It was surreal being here. The last time she had spent any real time here was when she had picked up some cooking essentials the day she moved in with Darcy. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Since New York was enjoying one of is hottest summers on record, her existence this summer would have been miserable indeed. She sent up a silent thank you that Darcy's central air worked so well. It made it much more comfortable sleeping. Especially when you didn't sleep alone.

Only she had been. Sleeping alone. The last three nights she had stared at the door to her bedroom wishing the knob would turn. Wishing he would slide into the bed and share his body with her. She was in serious withdrawal. He was that good!

Ever since Darcy had returned to work on Monday, unless you counted a few uninspired kisses to her temple, he hadn't touched her at all. He had become engrossed in all things DARPA. After their ambitious pace starting Saturday night and lasting until Monday morning, she was a little confused by his complete and abrupt 180 with regards to physical contact. From what he said the night of his offer to her, she had expected more. Maybe, he was one of those guys. The ones who believed sex and weekends went together. The weekend was coming up and she so hoped he would along with it. She missed him and the intimacy she found in his bed. Darcy, the lover, was an entirely different man than Darcy the scientist.

Elizabeth's mind returned to their sultry Sunday. He had not let her out of his bed except to shower and eat. And, what a shower. She grinned just thinking about it. He insisted she let him wash her hair. After he massaged her scalp with strong, gentle fingers and rinsed the shampoo and conditioner, he turned those hands on the rest of her body, cleaning her rather thoroughly. It had been the thoughtful attention he paid to her, and not simply his hands that worked on her, that made her feel like a pampered Princess.

Could anyone really blame her for her preoccupation?

No man had ever looked at her the way he did. As if he was trying to memorize her. It made her feel special to have the regard of such a serious man. Elizabeth had no idea what she had done to make him desire her and part of her worried that she'd be equally clueless when she did something to cause him to quit. She tried once more to ignore the nagging feeling she might have already lost his regard. It had just been a bad few days, she told herself. That's all.

Darcy wouldn't all of a sudden not want her anymore. Right? Unless, he'd gotten what he wanted. After all, he had projected sixty days to get where they had. She'd never been such an overachiever. Should she have played a bit harder to catch? Perhaps. And, her behavior this weekend? She had acted like some sort of a sex addict. Never had she been so bold or vocal about what she wanted. Just thinking about it now made her blush. She shut her mind to such unproductive thoughts. You couldn't very well put the milk back in the cow after giving it away.

This was Darcy. If he wanted her to leave, he would have bluntly told her to pack her things. He wouldn't have thought twice about it. She could be sure of it. After all, he didn't always seem to understand the relationship between his words and other people's feelings. No, if he wanted to cancel their contract, he would just have done it. Maybe, this was just the way he was. She was just being unnaturally insecure and sensitive with his hot and cold behavior because it was all new to her. Maybe after six or seven more months, she would look back and be use to the quirks of his unique personality. Only, she didn't have six or seven months. She had exactly sixty days left. And, she found herself feeling almost hostile, he was wasting them.

Wiping at her moist forehead, Elizabeth decided to go about her errands. She watered her few remaining plants and she considered taking them with her. However, she rejected the idea almost immediately. They would just be more items that she would have to move back here in two months. One thing was clear. With as many times as he talked about it in the last few days, she knew he was aware of when their contract was to end. Like with the stove, there were so many things he wanted her to take with her when she left him. The cookie jars. The lamp she bought in the living room that fit perfectly over the couch so he could read there without straining his eyes. The towels she bought that matched the deep navy of his bathroom perfectly. Towels he had wrapped her in carefully after they had their shower. The new microwave when she couldn't stand to look at the stains in the old one. At the rate she was going, she'd have to rent a U-Haul to move back here. She glanced about her living room. Wherever would she put it all? Would she even want the items and their memories?

Elizabeth went to her closet, looking through the limited selection for something that he may not have seen her in yet. She knew he wouldn't care if she went shopping, but she did not feel right spending his money on something that would only give her enjoyment. She settled on a few summer dresses, a few bikinis and short sets.

Sighing heavily, she went through her mail. The bills she sat in a stack, then turned her attention to her other correspondence. Most of it which was junk mail that was quickly discarded. However, one piece did stand out. A thick manila envelope address to one Ms. Elizabeth Bennet from The New York Realty Group.

Her building was being sold. Again. Real estate in New York must be booming. Every six months or so, a new owner purchased her building. Her rent was going to go up and the quality of service was going to go down. Worse, her lease expired in August. The new owners were going to have her over a barrel. Soon, very soon, she was going to have to spend time looking for another apartment. Which meant she'd need to find employment. Without a job, there would not be many perspective landlords willing to rent to her. As it was, it was going to be difficult with just being newly employed.

That reminded her. Elizabeth accessed her bank account from her cell. As contractually promised, her first installment had been direct deposited. The healthy state of her checking account was a shock. She'd never had so much money at her disposal. She wanted to splurge on something decadent and unnecessary. She was tempted to call all of her creditors and pay off everyone she owed. However, she resisted doing so. If she was careful and budgeted, she could coast for quite a while. Over a year. Easy. Even if she had to move somewhere else. Paying a whole years rent in one lump sum might just be the incentive she needed to get a good apartment. She logged out of her account.

At the heart of it, it felt wrong to take money from Darcy.

Shaking herself, Elizabeth decided she would accept his generosity. Not worrying about rent, student loan payments and having money for incidentals was a relief. And, someday, she might even be in a position to repay the money to him. She would just look at this infusion of cash as a loan. The future payouts would not be necessary. She would not accept any more of his money. Especially now. Now that they were lovers. Continuing to accept money from him would only make her feel like a prostitute. She didn't want to fight about it so she decided she'd just wait until their little experiment concluded. She'd simply return the last two payments to him then.

Oh, why had she agreed to the infernal contract?

Elizabeth knew why. She was curious about him. She'd always been. That's why his every slight was blown way out of proportion. Had it really been necessary to join Jane as an act of solidarity every Monday night? No. As much as she had claimed he annoyed her, she could have simply stopped going at any time. It wasn't like Jane would have been upset with her. Jane was the most understanding creature on the planet.

Did she have to go out of her way to look nice? Make meals? No, she wanted him to regret his words that first meeting. She wanted him to eat his heart out with a spoon. Regret his words. She wanted him to look at her and think of anything but the damnable word TOLERABLE.

A month ago, Elizabeth had been bored, melancholic. No job. No boyfriend. No prospects for either. Her mother's incessant, but well meant, reminder of both failings. In such a mood, William Darcy and his freaky sex experiment didn't sound half so bad. The kiss to convince her hadn't hurt either.

Elizabeth was very aware she was breaking the rules. He had warned her. He had told her that he hadn't wanted to mislead her. He had not wanted her developing feelings for him. What had he called it? Yes, she smile, he didn't want her to go developing romantic notions about him. He had wanted to make sure that she never developed an attachment to him. The money was for her. A firm reminder. So, she wouldn't. She laid her cell phone on the table and stared at it. She'd wish she had heeded his warning. It would have made this week a lot easier to handle, but she could not lie to herself. She had started feeling an attachment to him. Of the most romantic kind. It felt like she was falling. Falling in love. And, it felt so very real.

*(*

Trying not to drop the food carriers she held, Elizabeth explained with strained politeness for the fourth time to the ill humored security guard, "I promise if you tell Will that Lizzy is here, he'll want to see me." She strongly suspected the sombrero and peasant dress she had worn out of whimsy was hurting her credibility with the stern faced man.

Truly, the large muscular man behind the security desk did not seemed convinced. He pulled out a list from under his desk, consulted it carefully, then told her that no one by the name Lizzy was on it. Seriously! She put down the heaviest of carriers and fished out her phone. The call went straight to voicemail. Oh, this was so frustrating! The food she had slaved over for the better part of two hours was going to go to waste.

Elizabeth left her apartment and went back to the penthouse. She paid her bills online, did some yoga, washed two loads of laundry, picked up his dry cleaning, chatted with Steve, she talked with her mother, Charlotte and Jane. Returning to the penthouse, there were still hours before dinner. Knowing that it was the last night to do final preparations for DARPA, she knew without needing to be told that Darcy would not be joining her.

Wondering into the kitchen, Elizabeth was not excited at all at the prospect of making another dinner she'd be eating alone. Maybe, she should just go out? But, sitting alone in a crowded restaurant did not appeal either. Then, an idea hit her! Since he couldn't come home to her for dinner, she could always take dinner to him. In fact, she could make his entire team dinner. An incentive for their final push.

Excited, she pulled out a notepad she kept in the kitchen to jot notes. What to make? She tapped her eraser several times. Mexican. Everyone like Mexican. If she organized it right, they could make them each to their own specific taste. Like their very own Chipotle.

Now, the Neanderthal behind the desk was ruining her surprise. He was treating her as if she was trying to sneak into Fort Knox and steal all the precious gold held there. Did she look like such a threat?

"Really, miss. You need to leave or I will have to physically escort you from the premises.

Mr. Darcy is an extremely important man. If you are not on the list, he doesn't have time for you." The man was unmovable on this point. "Please, m'am. Make this easier on both of us and simply leave."

Defeated, she picked up her belongings and started back the way she came. She heard her name in a friendly voice.

"Mrs. Reynolds! Oh, it is good to see you. Can you tell him" Elizabeth looked at the security guard. "that Will would be okay with me going inside? He's acting as if I come bearing the black plague and not food."

Darcy's secretary turned to the security guard giving him a withering look, "Tom, Lizzy is on the visitor list." The man consulted the list again drawing another blank. The older woman sighed. "It's under Elizabeth Bennet. For God's sake, she's his girlfriend, Tom! Do you have any idea what Mr. Darcy would do if he found out about this?"

Elizabeth had to admit it was interesting to see how quickly Neanderthal Tom's behavior changed toward her. He literally tripped over himself to apologize for her earlier treatment. She told him not to worry about it. She was aggravated, but realized the man was simply doing his job. After all, if she was really Darcy's girlfriend, she would have liked the fact he took the role so seriously. She could not find fault with that and told him so. He smiled at her understanding.

Mrs. Reynolds took one of her carriers from her. "What is all of this?"

"Will and his team have been working so hard. I thought I would bring them all dinner."

Mrs. Reynolds scanned her badge on the elevator door. "You are very good to him, Elizabeth. The entire team has been putting in long hours. I am sure they will appreciate this treat. It does smell wonderful."

"Why don't you join us? There is plenty."

The older woman smiled, "No, I have dinner with my husband every night. It is the one thing he insists on."

As they exited the elevator, they went toward doors at the end of a long hallway. There was another scanner there but instead of making use of it, Mrs. Reynolds picked up the phone. She didn't have enough clout to go into the lab?

"Hi, Malcolm. Can you let Will know that Ms. Bennet is here to see him? She has come bearing gifts." She frowned. "Okay, I see. Well, could you come and open the door for her. Send someone up to the circuitry room to let him know. I'm sure he won't mind being interrupted if he knows it is her."

Malcolm turned out to be a pimply faced, ginger haired, lanky man child who looked as if he had just started shaving. Elizabeth strongly suspected he was not even old enough to vote yet. He opened the door and just stared at her as if he was stuck. Yes, she should have probably rethought the sombrero.

"Can you help me?" She asked as he continued to stare.

"Of course. Of course." Malcolm snapped to life, taking one of the carriers in each of his hands apologizing. She thanked him as she flexed her fingers. Blood was returning to them. Mrs. Reynolds told her goodnight then headed back the way they came. The young scientist led her through a traditional lab that reminded her strongly of her high school Chemistry class. Another hallway with doors led off in opposite directions. His laboratory was expansive. It appeared to span the entire breadth of the building. So many doors, along so many corridors. She felt like Alice entering Wonderland.

Malcolm brought her to a small kitchen and then he disappeared. Left to her own devices, Elizabeth wiped down the counter space before she setup the meal she prepared. She tried to think of any possibilities bringing chicken, pork, steak, rice and beans. She arranged ramekins to keep the food heated. The traditional burrito toppings were laid out on the opposite counter. Tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cheese, salsa, corn, sour cream. For desert, she even made mini-churros and flan. She fretted suddenly hoping she had thought of something each member of the team would like. Not knowing them personally made the job very difficult.

When she looked up, Darcy was standing in the doorway observing her.

"Surprise!" She said happily. He didn't look surprised. He just stared at her. His silence made her nervous. "Since you weren't going to come home for dinner, I thought I'd bring dinner to you."

"We have a lot of work to do, Elizabeth. It's already going to be a late night." He checked his watch, glanced toward the doorway he had come through. "Do you know what a distraction your presence here is going to be to the team?"

But, she'd been on the list! She wanted to say, but she didn't. This was not certainly the reception she was expecting. Elizabeth hadn't realized until that exact moment how she'd pinned her hopes on his being pleased to see her. Pleased she'd gone to all the trouble. She'd had fantasies. He'd introduce her to his team. They'd eat together. They'd beg her to stay, but she'd leave knowing they had important work to do. He'd come home letting her know how proud he was to have someone like her as . . . . as his sex doll muse.

"Well," she turned suddenly feeling the weight of not being welcomed, "I'll just go then. I was never my intention to be a distraction."

Elizabeth wiped her hands on a napkin and picked up her purse. There was no way she was going to carry the food she brought back out with her in front of Neanderthal Tom. Not after the way Mrs. Reynolds had taken him to task. Darcy could just throw all the food away if he didn't want to eat it. She sincerely hoped that not all those on the visitor's list got treated this way.

Without a word, Elizabeth squeezed past Darcy and turned back out of the kitchen. Malcolm was talking excitedly about real food as he preceded several other white coated scientists down the hallway. It was like a scene from Dawn of the Dead. There were six in all shuffling toward the kitchen to the aroma of food. Several introduced themselves, but it was clear that they were more interested in eating than greeting her. She couldn't help it. She smiled. At least someone appreciated her efforts.

One of the men who had Cyclopes on his coat winked at her. "Thanks for the grub. It smells wonderful."

"I hope you enjoy it."

Another with Patches on his coat, said, "You aren't going to eat with us?"

Darcy frowned from his spot between the kitchen and the hallway. Yes, the distraction was leaving the building. "No, I have another pressing engagement."

Turning again, she collided with someone else in a white coat and fell smack on her butt. Her sombrero fell back like a cowboy hat and she looked up. A plain, blonde-haired woman stood over her looking down bemused. Elizabeth knew it was sexist but she had not considered that there would be women in his group. A strong, feminine hand reached out to her, "Are you alright, little one?"

"Yes." She accepted the help of the kind woman and retook her feet.

"You must be Will's Elizabeth." The woman's lips curled. The hand pumped hers. "I'm Dr. Palmer. Dr. Cheryl Palmer." The blonde's clear blue eyes searched her face. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh."

Cheryl? This was Cheryl? What the hell did 'in the flesh' mean?

The blonde's gaze lowered taking in her peasant gown then returned to her eyes. A smile curved the woman's lips. "You're right, Will. Her eyes are something special. None of Malcolm's samples come close."

Revulsion went through her. It wasn't bad enough that Cheryl worked with him, but Cheryl was on the team that was working on Xy? Malcolm too?

"Will, I have completed the circuitry protocols and I believe I have located the source of the electrical abnormality we were experiencing. We should begin working on it immediately after dinner."

Without a word, Elizabeth made the trip back through the lab with steady legs. She opened the door into the hallway and called the elevator. She felt like a fool. An utter fool! What a joke! All those late nights? She'd never considered looking at his cell phone to check HIS messages! His reaction to Vince now seemed so hypocritical. No wonder he hadn't touched her all week. Cheryl had a two year head start on what he liked. She could find solutions to electrical abnormalities. In the span of the minute it took to go from the kitchen to the elevator, the memories of the weekend they shared took on an entirely different connotation.

"Elizabeth." She ignored him, and punched the call button again. There had to be a flight of stairs she could scale somewhere. "It's not what it looks like."

Of course not!

He stood next to her as if they were companionably waiting for the same elevator. "You knew she was a scientist. I never told you that I didn't work with her."

No, he hadn't. She could not talk. If she opened her mouth, she honestly thought she was going to sob. She was not going to give him the satisfaction. She just wanted to run somewhere and hide. She was so dumb! She said nothing, hitting the button again.

Darcy stepped in front of her facing her then, tried to pull her into a hug. She stepped away from him. How much had he shared with his frigid doctor? Elizabeth shut her eyes. She'd done some really stupid things in her life, but never on such a grand scale. She couldn't necessarily be mad at him for it. He had warned her. She'd been the one to suggest they start having sex.

"Cheryl and I ran our course. We haven't been together in nearly a year." The doors finally opened and she walked around him to enter the much anticipated car only to start her button pushing again. He spread his arms along the opening. "She is the best I have in micro-circuitry."

"I'm sure she's the best at quite a lot of things." She was not going to be petty.

He dropped his arm. "Elizabeth, there is nothing for you to be mad about. Really, honey, there isn't."

No? She crossed her arms, "Really? How'd you feel if you went to my work and found Vince was working with me?"

"That's preposterous. I couldn't go to your place of employment and find him there. You don't have a job." The doors began to close and he turned to squeeze through the space. "Shit! That didn't come out right, Elizabeth. You know - you know I didn't mean that the way it came out."

The door shut trapping them both. As soon as they were alone, confined, he attempted to put his arms around her again, but she pushed her way free from him. She looked straight ahead. In a low voice, she said, "Don't touch me!"

"Be reasonable. Cheryl and I work together. Nothing more."

Elizabeth could be reasonable. He'd never seen anyone who could do reasonable like she did. He could be sure she was not going to make a scene. She just needed to be left alone. The elevator stopped and she got out in the parking garage. She made a bee line for her car.

"Elizabeth, say something."

That did it. "You want me to say something. Fine. I think it very odd that you omitted the fact you work with her. That she was helping you on Xy? That you see the woman you dated and loved for two years every day."

His attention snapped to her face. "I never told you I loved, Cheryl."

It was clear to her that Darcy had never respected her even though he told her at his uncle's benefit he did. He had said what he needed to get into her pants. Now, it was clear he believed her so gullible she'd fall for any line he cast. He followed her. How she wished he would just go away.

"When I was with Cheryl," he looked as if he was giving a lecture in a class somewhere and that the subject matter bored him. He was walking backwards trying to stay in front of her. "I didn't even know I was capable of loving anyone. We had joint interests. We had similar upbringings, life experiences, and I thought that was enough to sustain a relationship. But, neither of us were in love. You have to believe me. In fact, it was more of a business arrangement - "

"Oh, another business arrangement with another woman?" Where the hell had she parked? Timbuktu? She swung around to face him. "Actually, how stupid do you honestly think I am?"

"Elizabeth, I don't think you are stupid. I think you are one of the smartest women - "

"Oh, stop! Just stop with the insincere flattery! It makes me feel worse." She felt dirty. Small. "Just promise me Will that you were always as careful with her as you were with me this weekend. That I don't have to worry about some STD."

His face turned red. "You are being ridiculous. You will stop this at once."

"Or, what, Will?" She felt a little manic. "Will you fire me? Kick me out?"

"Okay, you're upset. I understand. No, I don't want you to move out, Elizabeth." He glanced about. The parking garage was empty. There was not a soul around. Yet, he lowered his voice. "I told you I haven't been with anyone other than you for months. And, I haven't. Why would I lie to you about something like that?"

"I can't think of a single reason a guy would lie to a woman to get her into bed. Not a single solitary one." She jerked open her driver's door. Suddenly, it occurred to her. "Did they all get a kick out of speeding up your timeline? Oh, God, no wonder you thought I'd be a distraction. Obviously, they know about me and Xy."

"You've got this completely wrong. No one knows about our contract unless you've told them. As far as Xy, part of the team you met today was working on her. Was, Elizabeth. I - we- " He put a hand on her door, stopping her from opening it all the way, preventing her escape. "Please come back inside. We'll go upstairs and talk in private in my office."

She smiled, sweetly. "Do you think Cheryl would want to join us? Maybe she could hold the video camera? Does she like to watch or participate?"

Darcy looked as if she had struck him. He removed his hand and she took advantage of her opening, quickly sliding behind the wheel. He recovered before she could complete her escape, grabbing the door handle preventing her from shutting the door. "Don't leave like this, Elizabeth. You shouldn't be driving when you are upset. I'll worry about you."

"Worry? About me?" That earned him a loud, throaty laugh. "You don't care one jot about me. Just let me go, Will. Please." He dropped his hand and she turned to him. "You know, it's funny, I don't even know why I'm so upset. I brought this all on myself. I did this to myself. I should never have come here."

"Elizabeth, don't do this." He pocketed his hands. "If you don't want to go back inside, let me go back and tell my team I have to leave. I'll drive us home. We'll sort this out. I know we can sort this out."

Sort this out? Her broken heart was like a bell that had already been rung. It couldn't be undone. Something stilled within here. Crystallized. There was no need for them to both be miserable. "No, you're right where you belong, Will. You have work to do. A deadline to keep."

Elizabeth shut her door, put her car in gear and drove out of the parking garage. She didn't look back. Not once. Her cell phone started ringing before she made it to the exit. She didn't need to look to know it was him. She drove about aimlessly for a long time. When she was tired, she pulled into a gas station and pondered her next move. She didn't want to go to the penthouse and she sure as hell didn't want to be alone. She'd had enough of being alone.

Her cell phone rang again. The constant ringing was rather distracting. She didn't know why Darcy was even bothering. He had more important things to do than call her all the time. Hadn't he told her that very thing just a few days ago?

Then, inspiration struck. Elizabeth knew someone that would be glad to see her and make her feel better about herself. Someone who would not consider it a chore to spend the night with her.