Love and Other Things

It had been a week since the Lucas's and my alcohol buzz was finally wearing off. Yeah, I told you I was a major lightweight. I had mostly forgotten about that dreadful Mr. Darcy. I decided about ten minutes after Jane and I left the party that he wasn't worth my time. I mean, why should I let an arrogant, rude, conceited man overtake my mind? I knew that I would never see him again. And I also knew that I was more than 'barely tolerable' and I was 'handsome enough' to tempt most men. But, like I said, I was over it. Done, finished, finite, no more! I definitely had better things to worry about. Like how my mother would not stop bothering me about Charles Bingley.

Faith Bennett's number one goal in life was to make sure her girls were married to fine young men. Personally, I don't think a mother has the authority to marry her daughters off like we're living in medieval times. She had spent the next three days after the party interviewing every person she knew that had been at the Lucas's, intent on finding out more information on this 'Charles.' Jane didn't even know his last name until Mama found out from Mrs. Lucas. Charles Bingley belonged to the prominent family, who owned the Bingley Enterprises, one of the largest corporations in the world. Needless to say, he was loaded. And Mama's plan was to them engaged by the end of the year. I don't know why she has this weird fixation on men and their money, but what could I do about it. She had been this way for as long as I could remember and nothing was going to change her. I

As I was entering my apartment, home from grocery shopping, I saw the red button on the answering machine. I was almost certain I knew who it was. I was right.

"LIZZY! I KNOW YOU'RE HOME. ANSWER THE PHONE. THAT'S IT, I'M COMING OVER……" Oh my god, I was freaking out. I really did not want her to come over right now. Actually, I never wanted her to come over. Quickly I picked up the phone and dialed her dreaded number. Dad answered.

"Hi Dad. Your wife called and said she was coming over. Has she left yet? Cause, um, you know, we're really busy over here so I don't think she should come over today, or tomorrow, or this week actually." I was pretty sure my dad would take pity on me. He always knew my mother and I never really got along.

John Bennett was, in my opinion, the best father a girl could ask for. He took everything in stride and he never actually took anything very seriously. I don't know why, but even if you were trying to be as serious as death, he always found something humorous to laugh at. I think that's why we got along so well. For I dearly loved to laugh, and he always gave me something to laugh about. He understood my annoyance I held for my mother because, I'm pretty sure, he felt that annoyance too. I almost don't understand why he married her. They were complete opposites. I guess he must have seen something in her back in the day.

"Oh Lizzy, one day you're gonna have to face your mother head on. Why not today? I bet you could take her." Dad teased. He loved this ongoing feud between me and Mama. It was another form of entertainment for him.

"Nope. Not today. I can't. All she wants to talk about is Jane's dear Mr. Bingley, and it's exhausting. If she wants to know what's going on with Jane, why doesn't she ask her herself. I'm sure Jane would know more about Jane than I." I was really hoping that my mom wasn't already on her way over.

"You know your mom. She always likes to do things the hard way. Anyways, she is napping right now. So I think you're safe for now." My father was my savior. I was safe from my mother's wrath for yet a few more hours. Now all I needed to do was get at of the house. That way, if Mama stopped by later, I would be gone. My evil plan was going to work. I guess it wasn't an evil master plan, but sometimes I over exaggerate.

"Oh, thank you so much. I love you, I love you, I love you! I gotta go. I'm leaving the country for a couple of years. Maybe until Jane and Charles get married. Then Mama will be done with all this craziness. See ya in a few years." I joked while getting my purse and heading for the door.

"Ok, well have fun wherever you go. But I'm sure your Mom could find you." Dad chuckled, pleased with the fact that Mama probably could and would find me in a tiny shack in the middle of nowhere if she really wanted to.

I hung up the phone and rushed out of the house, leaving the groceries on the counter. Maybe Jane will put them away when she gets home. Jane and I shared a two-bedroom apartment, small but comfortable. We had been living together for three years, right after we moved out of our parent's house. I made my way to the car, hopped in and headed for my favorite place in the world. The public library.

The love of my life was and has always been books. Mysteries, romance, historical-fiction, biographies, science fiction, and all the rest. I believed that all of life's questions could be answered in the books. I have never had one problem that wasn't helped by a little Mark Twain or Victor Hugo. I don't really remember when I acquired my slight obsession with the written work. I seemed to have always loved to read, not like most kids who despise reading until they hit a certain age.

I pulled up to the library, checked in, and sat down with one of my favorites. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read this book in the ninth grade and it became one of my favorites. People always ask me how I can read the same book over and over again, but I don't know how people can't. If it's a great book, like Harper Lee's masterpiece, why not read it until your heart's content.

As I left the library with four books in tow, I had one thought on my mind: coffee. I hadn't had any of my recommended coffee intake for the day; well, technically, I was the one who recommended me to have it, but I was an up and coming doctor, right? I hopped back into my car and headed to the nearest coffee shop. Which was conveniently located right across the street. Have you ever noticed that there happens to be some sort of coffee affiliated corporation on every corner of every street?

Getting out of the car, I dashed into the coffee shop, ordered my drink (venti, two-pump, skinny vanilla latte) and decided to sit and continue with my reading. Ya told you, I could read forever if time permitted. Too bad on my way to the outside seating area, I collided with a brick wall, in the form of a person. I fell flat on my ass, but not before getting drenched with scolding hot coffee. Well, this surely sucks! I didn't even notice who I had run into because my arm was really, really in pain from this fire liquid. All I heard was a distinct, yet muttered,

"People should really watch where they're going." I don't think whoever said it meant for their victim to hear it.

All I could think was I, know that voice. I looked up and saw the one man I was pretty sure I was I never supposed to come into contact with for the rest of my being. I guess fate had other plans for me: Will Darcy.

"Will, um, sorry I didn't see you." I was still looking up from my nice little spot on the ground. I was really confused as to why I was still on the ground in front of like twenty people. Why the hell hadn't I gotten up yet? Why the hell was I thinking about why I hadn't gotten up? And this is the saddest conversation anyone has ever had with themselves, ever.

"Oh, OW!" I looked down at my arm as I was getting up. It was all red and gross. I really hoped it wasn't serious or anything. You can't get third-degree burns from hot coffee, right? I should know this, me being a doctor and all.

Will noticed my arm and his face suddenly got very gentle, yet determined. Oh, that's right, he is a doctor too. I think he could tell I was in pain.

"Let me get you some paper towel, or ice, something. Hold on." He went and asked the man at the counter for the supplies to stop my pain and was back in a flash. All of this, from our colliding to now, had happened in the course of thirty seconds.

He gingerly grabbed my arm and cleared it of all the leftover coffee. And all the while, I was silent. I think I was tongue-tied. Like I couldn't think of anything to say. And my heart was doing this weird skipping thing. It had never done that before. My body was probably just reacting to the pain. Hot coffee on any part of your body is really not a good feeling. He finished looking at my arm, inspecting it for any burns, and when he didn't find anything too wrong, he let go of my arm.

"Um…thanks for that." I told him, lamely. "I'm really sorry about bumping into you. It was totally my fault. Here, let me buy you another drink. What was it? Latte, cappuccino, espresso?" It actually was my fault for this whole incident. I was so intent on continuing my book that I hadn't looked where I was going. And I didn't think it would be right if I interrogated him after he helped me. That would make me somewhat of a bitch, wouldn't it.

"No," I think he had a thing for the word 'no.' Short and simple. "You should make sure your arm's ok, though. Run it under cold water, that should prevent any redness or swelling." He seemed flustered, and his face had a pinkish tint. "Does it still hurt?"

I had to stop for a second to remember about my injury. I had been looking at his eyes. At the party I remember them being blue, like the ocean. Now these magnificent orbs were green. It was a forest green, a color of eyes I had never seen before. They were beautiful. Question! What'd he ask me? Oh yeah…

"It's fine. All better, good as new. Again, I'm really sorry about that. Are you sure I can't get you anything?" I felt really bad about spilling his drink, even if it had ended up on me.

And then he was gone.

As soon as Jane so my damaged arm when I got home, she went into a wild frantic. She doesn't really like to see people in pain. Or see the evidence that someone had been in pain, i.e., my arm. She actually had me run it under freezing cold water for about five minutes straight, even though it didn't hurt at all anymore.

"How did this happen? You really should have gone to the doctor's," Jane was appalled that I hadn't gotten this checked out.

"Jane, seriously, it was just coffee. It wasn't the end of the world. I'm fine. Arms fine. Everything is fine. Besides, Will Darcy was there and he helped clean me up." I wasn't sure if I was going to tell her I had seen him; she knew about my intense dislike for him. I decided it would be childish to not tell her, like it was a huge secret.

"Charles' friend? Oh, that was so nice. I knew you pegged him all wrong. I told you, didn't I? He had probably just had a hard day." Jane was extremely glad that there was proof to her conclusion of Will's character. She didn't like to think ill of anyone.

"Well, technically it is his job, so I don't think that makes him any better than I thought." I replied. I don't know why, but I didn't want to praise him for his good antics. Even though it was very nice. I didn't want to let go of my first, terrible impression of Mr. Darcy, for some reason.

"I don't care, it was very noble of him in my opinion." Jane continued to defend him. Always fighting for the underdog, my elder sister. If you could call Will Darcy an underdog.

"Fine, fine. Will Darcy is amazing, he is my savior, my hero, and I will forever be in his debt. Does that make you happy?" I was officially done talking about him. I decided to just give in to Jane, let her think good of everyone, yet again.

"Very! Now you and I are going out tonight. Let's go to that new club, on 6th. I am through sitting home on a Saturday night, watching the marathon of House. I can't watch Hugh Laurie for one more night without exploding." Jane was trying to act mad about her lack of a social life, but it was very challenging for a Saint to look mad. She kept laughing throughout her entire rant.

"I happen to like watching Mr. Laurie every Saturday. What's wrong with staying home?" I didn't want to go. Clubs weren't really my scene. To think of it, Jane wasn't really a club-hopper either. I guess that means she really wanted to get out of this house.

"Please, Lizzy. Please, please, pretty please." She was groveling now.

"I guess. But don't let me have anything to drink. I just got over my hangover this morning. And I got drunk a week ago." I started my new job next week and I didn't want any form of a hangover to last into the start of the job.

"No alcohol. None whatsoever." Jane didn't like to drink much either. "Lizzy, we're gonna have so much fun! We haven't been dancing in months. Should we invite Charlotte?"

"Yes, yes we totally should. We can be her designated drivers." I joked. It was a well known fact among the Bennetts and Lucases that Charlotte could not hold her liquor. She was actually worse than me, but she didn't try and manage her embarrassing quality in public. She encouraged it. But whatever, we all love her anyway.

"You call her, I gotta go rid myself of all this coffee. Ugh, my arm is so sticky." I complained. I was in such a rush to get home; I hadn't actually taken the time to wash my arm off, ridding it of the painful remnants.

As I rushed off to my room, I couldn't help but wish the girls and I had the time of our lives tonight. I don't want to sound like a sex-crazed fiend, but it had been a long time since I had been in the sack. Wishing hopefully that my wish would be granted in finding a man at the club, I hopped in the shower and thought about what I was going to where; I had to look good if I wanted to get laid, right?

One Hour Later

We pulled up to the club, Lights, and made our way up to the line. Oh god, we're gonna have to wait hours to get in. That'll be fun. No sarcasm here. Seriously, I was one of those freaks that actually liked waiting in lines. It gives you a chance to meet new people. And by new people I mean new guys.

"Lizzy, come here. This nice man said we could go right in." Jane called me over while pointing to the bouncer at the front of the line. Somehow we had gotten separated.

I couldn't help but laugh. Jane was probably minding her own business, looking around and taking in the beauty of the night (Jane was one of those people who can find the beauty in everything) when suddenly the bouncer noticed her loveliness. He had most likely fallen in love at first sight and decided to let her and her party skip the line. Beautiful people never have to wait in line. That's an unwritten rule of society. It ain't politically correct or anything, but I'm not complaining. I happened to always be in the presence of the most beautiful girl in the world, which can definitely work to your advantage.

"How did you manage to pull this off, bat your eyelashes? Tell him how much you love a man in control?" I joked. I was pretty much positive Jane still had no idea why we were let in the club without having to wait in line.

"What are you talking about? He said hi, I said hi, then he told me I could go in. That's the whole shah-bang. Really, Lizzy, I think you're paranoid. Not every guy I meet wants to get in my pants." Jane laughed, brushing off my accusations.

"Well you know that's a lie. What sane, straight man would not think about you and your pants and the taking off of them? But, whatever, he was probably just being nice, like all men." I told her as we walked into the club.

Unlike Jane, I didn't have the uncanny ability to trust people as easily as she trusted people. But Jane was the type of person who trusted total strangers. I, personally, had a personal vendetta against that of the opposite sex. It's not that I thought every man on the face of the earth was untrustworthy, it's just that a majority of them are. And I happen to have met about half of that population.

"I feel like we're celebrities. You know, cutting lines, getting special treatment, all that goodness. We're like the Queen. Or Angelina Jolie. She's equivalent to the Queen, right?" I decided to change the subject. Nobody ever won an argument against my sister when she felt strong about something. And she happened to believe that everybody was nice and this man in particular was just doing something nice; a good deed, you could say.

"Ya, or maybe Tina Fey. I bet she is on the same level as the Queen by now. With all that Palin publicity." Jane replied. She and I had a slight obsession with Tina Fey. We thought she was amazing. Anything affiliated with her we watched. Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, everything. It was pretty sad, actually.

"Tina Fey equivalency, definitely. Nobody matches up to all powerful Tina." I played along.

"Let's get something to drink. NO alcohol though. I promise. We'll just have water. Leave the drinking to Charlotte." Jane pointed to the bar as we made way through the crowd.

Charlotte was already here. She had gotten here about a half-hour ago. I hope she wasn't plastered yet. Charlotte was kinda mean when she drank. She made Jane cry once, but thankfully she couldn't remember her cruelty the next day. Usually I would have been furious for making my Janie cry, but Charlotte would never intentionally hurt Jane.

"Yes, no alcohol at all. Charlotte can just be drunk enough for the three of us. The responsibility of total wastedness falls to Ms. Lucas's shoulders." I agreed, wholeheartedly.

We made our way to the bar, ordered a drink, and waited for Charlotte to find us. About twenty minutes after we arrived at the bar, Charlotte bee-lined straight toward us.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to be dancing like a loser all by yourself?" Charlotte was pissed. Not because she was actually mad, she just wanted us to go and dance with her. It was her way of guilting us into doing what she wanted. It usually always worked, too.

"Are you sure that's the right way to ask someone to dance? Next time you can just hold a gun to our heads, it'll work faster." I greeted her, "But I'll just be the bigger person right now and dance with you."

"Oh, Lizzy, you are the most amazing, beautiful, perfect person to ever walk this earth and I will be your personal slave for the next ten years." Charlotte joked.

"Well you girls have your fun, but I gotta go to the bathroom," Jane interrupted. She had a bladder the size of a pea. I swear that girl goes to the bathroom thirty times a day. She got up and made her way to the little girls' room.

"You have fun with that." Charlotte called after her. Then she pulled me up and dragged me to the dance floor.

I had to admit, I loved to dance. It sounds corny, but whenever I dance, it's like I'm immersing myself and letting go of everything else around me. I feel free and open and alive. Like I said, corny.

We danced for a good part of an hour before we decided we needed a break. We headed towards the bar again, which is when I realized that I hadn't seen Jane since she went to the bathroom. She probably met another guy, though I have to admit, I was somewhat disappointed if she had in fact met another man. I really liked Charles and I wanted to see their relationship go somewhere.

Then I spotted her talking quietly to a particular red-headed man who was using animated gestures in their discussion. I could see from far away that both of them were unaware of their surroundings. They were totally preoccupied with each other. Suddenly, Jane saw us and waved us over.

"Lizzy, look who I found." Jane grinned, happily.

Charles jumped out of his seat and gave me a bear hug. It was kinda surprising, given that I had only met him once before, but it was also somewhat expected. His actions seemed to fit his personality exactly.

"I was just telling Jane that I'm having a party tomorrow, for my birthday. I would love it if you guys could come." He exclaimed, excitedly wringing his hands in front of him. I think he was nervous. Like he was asking Jane on a date.

"Sure, that'd be awesome. We'd love to come. Right, Jane?" I said. I noticed Charlotte had left my side and when I looked for her, I found her cozying up next to a man a few places down from us at the bar. I turned back towards the other party, shaking my head. I guess Charlotte would be the one getting lucky tonight.

"Yes, um, we wouldn't miss it." Jane answered, blushing furiously.

Charles grinned, his smile stretching out to both sides of his face, "Well um, here's my, uh, number. You know, uh, so you can call me for, you know, my address." He mumbled. He handed a card to Jane.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" he looked expectantly at my sister.

"Of course." Jane replied. It was short, but Charles thought it was appropriate, for he was grinning madly again.

"Great, that's fantastic. Well I have to get going. I'll see you tomorrow, the party starts at 9. Bye." He said.

"Bye." Jane responded, looking sadly down at her hands at the thought of him leaving.

I kinda felt like I was intruding on their conversation, but there wasn't much I could do about it now. Their conversation was over, as one half of the party left.

"Oh, Lizzy, I'm so excited. Did you see him? He's wonderful, everything a man should be. I really like him, do you like him? Cause I really do. You do too, don't you?" she asked eagerly, desperately needing my approval of him.

I nodded vigorously, "I think he's great. You guys are gonna have such cute children. You can name them Jane Jr. and Charles the 3rd. Of course, you're first born will be named Lizzy. Boy or girl."

"Of course, what else would we name it," she joined in my teasing.

"I think you've spent enough time talking. Let's dance!" I laughed.

Jane got up and followed me out to the dance floor. I couldn't help but notice a bunch of stares (mostly guys) turn Jane's way. I smirked.

We spent the rest of the night dancing and finally decided it was time to leave when Charlotte couldn't stand up anymore. Jane spent the rest of the night talking of how eager she was for the upcoming party. For some reason unbeknownst to me, I had this weird feeling like this was going to be a party I was not going to enjoy.

Here's my second chapter. I was thinking of another story I wanted to start and it's going to be set in college for Darcy and Lizzy. I was just wondering what sport I should have Darcy play. I was thinking soccer. I just can't picture him as a football or basketball player, but that's just me. Let me know what you guys think. Also, you're reviews were amazing. They really encourage me. This chapter was kind of a filler. I just wanted to introduce the characters. Even though you guys already know the characters, but you know what I mean. The next one will be more dramatic with more action. Thanks!