It's another shorter one but I wasn't quite sure where else to go here having accomplished my objective. We will be moving on after this chapter to other issues we need to resolve.
The 52-floor building loomed above her as she approached the glass facade. She'd expertly navigated the swarms of New Yorkers and tourists crowding the aptly named Times Square as she approached the building that had been the subject of her aspirations all these years. She was standing on the street corner, wondering how early she could arrive without appearing ridiculous when her phone began to ring. It was William.
"Hi." Lizzy smiled knowing he'd called her because she'd been so nervous earlier in the day.
"Are you close to the office yet?"
"Standing right outside trying to figure out how early is too early to actually enter."
"I'd say ten minutes early is just right. Do you have a sense as to when you'll be done?"
"I can't imagine this won't take more than an hour or so."
"I'll be wrapped up around 3:00. I can come to you and maybe we can do something fun this afternoon."
"I'd love that. I'll text you when I'm done."
"Perfect. And don't worry, I'm sure it will all go very smoothly. Love you."
"Love you too."
The pair disconnected and Lizzy, checking her watch, decided she should go ahead and go to her first appointment with HR. The receptionist greeted her kindly and directed her to a waiting area. The building had an open, airy feeling, everywhere she looked glass sparkled, complemented with stark white and black features. Brilliant red accents were sparsely but cleverly used to break up the open spaces. For some reason, it actually reminded her of a joke she loved telling when she was four or five. Her papa brought her to the local branch of the Boston Public Library for the first time around that age. She was so excited to get her very own library card. Her papa had taught her to read and did so much to encourage her interest in the written word. That first book she borrowed contained jokes. What's black and white and re(a)d all over? A newspaper. The riddles in that little book entertained her for hours. So proud she was of her ability to actually read them, but also her understanding that words could make people laugh. Her papa and the patrons of their little family restaurant played along as she teased them with the contents of her first borrowed book. Who knew it would bring her here: The New York Times. Papa, wherever you are, I'm here because of you. After sending this silent prayer into the world she looked around herself one more time to savor this moment.
Green card and social security card in hand, the paperwork was completed rather quickly. She would begin her ten-week internship the first week of June, receiving a weekly stipend of $1000/week. It was the most money she'd ever earned in her life and yet it would be meaningless to William. The thought irked her but she pushed it aside. The perky HR assistant was leading her towards the newsroom and she was excited for her first glimpse of it. A vast open room filled with natural light, Lizzy did her best to keep her mouth from gaping open as she took in the controlled chaos of its occupants, all working to put forward a fresh edition of the world's events in time for tomorrow morning's readers. She would have been perfectly happy watching events unfold before her but was soon interrupted.
"Elizabeth, good to see you again. Tina Burns, we last met at Harvard for your interviews."
Lizzy looked at the outstretched hand and suddenly remembered her manners. Shaking her hand, Lizzy made direct eye contact, "It's so good to see you again. I can't wait for June when I get to come here everyday."
Ms. Burns smiled then turned to a nearby colleague. "See Ben? This is why I continue on as the intern coordinator. They remind me of when I had so much optimism and enthusiasm for the world. They're not jaded like you and me," she quipped.
Lizzy blushed. Was she really as naive as all that? Before she could think a moment longer Lizzy found herself being whisked on a cursory tour of the newsroom. Tina Burns was walking briskly and Lizzy hurried to catch up as she pointed to various spots in the room, Metro, Sports, Style. She would be assigned to one of these teams this summer and was glad to finally have an image to match with her speculations. Tina's meanderings had a point and they found themselves in a conference room looking out on the newsroom floor.
"While we are always glad to have visitors I know you had something you wished to speak with me about. I'm afraid I'm a bit short on time today as I'm pushing on a deadline." Tina Burns looked at Lizzy expectantly. She was known for her direct manner and, since Lizzy had filled out her paperwork prior to the meeting it wasn't likely she was planning to bow out of the internship. This undergrad hadn't seemed like one of those high-maintenance millennials. That had factored strongly in their decision to offer her one of the coveted summer spots. She frankly couldn't imagine what Elizabeth wanted to speak about. Maybe a change to her start date?
Lizzy was actually thankful she'd been so direct. She hadn't been sure how to introduce the reason for her request to speak with the intern coordinator. "I'm not sure if you have noticed but umm," Lizzy pointed to her belly. "I'm expecting a baby in mid-September." Tina's eyes fell from her face to her mid-section and then quickly looked reverted to her prior gaze. Lizzy felt the need to press on to remove the awkwardness of her start. "My husband and I..."
Lizzy kept speaking but Tina's mind was racing. Did she say husband? I guess I hadn't realized she was married. She's like 20 or 21 right? The world continued to surprise her and, while this was a new one, she was prepared to try and make just about anything work. Tina wanted more competent women in the field and having babies should be available to young women without stifling their chances of success. "So are there any restrictions or accommodations you need?"
Lizzy's brows rose high on her head, "Accommodations? Uh, no. I just didn't want to surprise you when I showed up almost six months pregnant in June. I'm young and healthy and this internship is scheduled to end when I'm about 35 weeks along. I don't expect anything but the opportunity to work hard this summer."
Laughing Tina leaned back in her chair. "We can certainly provide you with that, but honestly, if you need anything, you just need to ask."
Lizzy felt the stress leaving her shoulders. "Thank you. I know this is a bit of a surprise. It certainly wasn't planned but..."she shrugged. Nothing really to add to that statement. "I guess I should let you get back to your story. I look forward to reading it."
William found Lizzy pacing in front of the The New York Times building. She'd felt such a burst of energy following from her meeting that the last thing she wanted to do was sit somewhere to wait.
She was easy to spot. Brown curls bouncing as Elizabeth walked the length of the city block drew his eyes immediately to her. He waited for her to turn back in his direction. About to put his hand up to get her attention, there was no need. Her eyes landed on his face and a wide smile spread across her lips, likely matching his own. Quickly Lizzy bounced over to Will and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him close.
"So I take it the meeting went well. You seem happy."
It wasn't just her curls that were bouncing. Lizzy was filled with excitement. "I can't wait to start. The energy of the newsroom gets my heart racing. I love it. The meeting was fine too. I think I surprised Tina, the intern coordinator, but then once I explained about the timing for the baby, she seemed cool with it. If she was concerned she certainly didn't show it." Lizzy was grinning widely. She had barely allowed herself to believe her internship would really happen. For the first time it felt real.
"She shouldn't be concerned. From a legal standpoint they really can't be concerned. They can't discriminate or anything but I'm glad you didn't feel any discomfort. For all that we should do, it's sometimes hard to push away or hide honest feelings."
"No I didn't get any sense of false assurance. But enough about that. I've got you here now. I want to explore a bit more of the city and I know exactly what I want to do."
Will was happy to follow Lizzy's lead but he hadn't quite expected they'd be spending the rest of the afternoon in Times Square. The "museums" she had in mind were one's he'd never even considered visiting. Even skeptical Will had to admit that Madame Tussaud's was impressive. Lizzy bounced from one famous statue to the next. The historical ones even managed to appeal to William and the recreations were remarkably life like. Taking her picture with the Pope and Elvis, both in one place, seemed to be the epitome of random and funny. Ripley's Believe It Or Not was next door and they managed to lose another hour there. William loved watching her reactions to each of the exhibits. After all of the seriousness of the past few months, Will decided there was nothing better in the world than watching Lizzy's playful side re-emerge. He was simply happy to follow along as she exclaimed over each new sight. That was, until he found himself standing in line in front of Carmine's. "Remind me why we're standing in line at this particular Italian restaurant when there are literally thousands of restaurants I could call and get us a table instantly." He was about to get grumpy when he looked down into her excited face. "You really want to eat here don't you."
"Yes. Absolutely. It's a mainstay in Times Square. According to every tourist guide I've seen, it's the #1 recommended restaurant in this corner of the city. Think about it, this is the restaurant tourists around the world dine at as part of the real New York experience. I want to get a taste of it too - literally." She could see she was beginning to hold sway over him. "C'mon. We always eat at your fancy pants restaurants. This is a tourist trap and that is exactly why I want to eat here."
"Alright but maybe we can get some rolls while we're waiting. I'm famished and I don't want to let my hunger rule my mood." Lizzy buzzed up to the hostess and, pleading pregnancy, was able to secure a basket of warm rolls.
Dinner was good, not great, but the room was buzzing, packed to the rafters with diners from all over. The service was expedient, clearly trying to efficiently pack in as many diners as they could in a single evening. The couple decided to stroll back to the apartment, taking their time while reviewing their afternoon. It had actually been one of the best afternoon's Will had spent in the city in years and he was glad he wrapped up work early to join her for some fun. "Anything else fun planned for tonight?"
"Are you admitting you had fun Mr. Darcy?"
"I plead the fifth. Are we heading home now?"
"I think the adrenaline surge from my trip to the NY Times has finally left me. I could use a nice hot bath right about now and then maybe we could cuddle on the couch in the family room and watch a movie."
Will doubted Lizzy would make it through to the end of a movie. It was already pushing 8:00 and Lizzy had been falling asleep very early lately. Better than getting into an argument though, he agreed, knowing she would fall asleep on the couch ten minutes after the movie started. It would be worth it to have her warm body next to his for a little while.
Georgie's return to New York was less stressful for William and Elizabeth than any of her prior visits. They'd finally reached a comfortable point in their relationship. Georgie eagerly shared her riding and shopping adventures over the past few days. Will and Lizzy swapped stories as well, sharing their afternoon in Times Square, various meetings with an architect, designer, and merchants to begin work on a nursery, and their dinner with the Wickham's. It was only when discussing the dinner that William realized Georgie had never met George Wickham. George had gone to live with his mom four years before she had even been born. Every once in awhile their age gap really struck him. This was one of those times. Based on Lizzy's instincts, William wasn't planning to introduce them to one another anytime soon. Whatever George's merits, Lizzy did not like him and that was a rare event indeed. Lizzy liked everyone.
Helpful comments welcome. If you want to be mean, I'd rather not hear from you. Thanks for the support!