Last night was heavy were one of the first Darcy's initial thoughts when he woke up. It was already late and he didn't bother getting out of bed. He felt like his brain would explode if he replayed last night once more.
This was new for Darcy. He had been called everything from a weirdo to a creep to a rich brats or even a playboy at times. Love didn't come easy to him.
In fact, it never came to him at all and he was as alienated to love as someone in a coma would be to life. Maybe that was an exaggeration but some of it was still true.
Georgia, his first girlfriend had a hard time breaking up with him in high school because of how unfazed he was when she broke it out to him that she can't take it anymore.
That's when she said what she had rehearsed a billion times already, "I feel like you might never forgive me but Darcy, it is what it is. I think I have started to fall for someone else."
The truth was, she never fell for anyone but Darcy. And he never fell for Georgia or for anyone for that matter.
He never felt weak, insecure or on the edge in any relationship because he felt that God devoid him of ever being capable of feeling love which according to him, wasn't so bad after all.
As he lay on his bed, closing his eyes finally, after all the mental work, his phone buzzed. He reached for it and saw that he had recieved something. To his surprise, it was a link and when he clicked on it, they were last night's pictures.
He spend some time zooming into every picture possible to see just a glimpse of her.
Scrolling further down, he came across a picture which he kind of frowned upon. Not because there was anything wrong with it but that it was kind of odd because what a single picture from another day was doing here in the middle of all these from last night.
This picture was no ordinary picture. It was from his coworker, Jaimie's bachelor party or "The curse day" as Darcy referred to it. Charles had recently gotten his heart broken thrice in the same week so, Darcy and Colonel consoled him at first, advised him on the second but then completely lost it on the third.
When everyone was occupied in the conversation talking about insurance and what sport to play on the weekends, all Darcy did was throw in random NASTY (as Charles put it) questions onto the table and that too out of the blue, like, "What's the best advice to have a lasting relationship and why don't you go first, Charles?"
Charles, sitting at the other end of the table, took his drink furiously and lifted his gaze at Darcy, his eyes bloodshot red, as if he'd been either crying or maybe trying to scare him.
That was the day when Charles cursed Darcy, ruining his picture perfect white shirt by spitting a bit of his drink onto it, "You stinking piece of mop, you'll see. You'll beg, you'll crawl, you'll starve for someone's love. I CURSE YOU!"
Darcy appeared to be astonished at the violently roaring beast that Charles had been possessed by for a while but also inwardly, he laughed because he knew, that Charles had wasted his curse on him.
He could have said broke, diseased, killed or practically anything. But love? Darcy had never been in love. That's all he thought about that night.
The memory in itself was too strong that Darcy shut his phone back down. The memory was precisely the reason why he didn't want to think of it. Maybe it was the damned word love.
He let the cold water rinse down his thoughts and hoped that the feeling would go away after he hops out of the shower.
However, every once in a while he'd get a thought, so, this is how it feels to be in… But then, he would blow the thought out like a flame on the candle.
He got ready in his usual manner, a white shirt, neatly tucked and sleeves folded up to his elbows, and plain black trousers. No tie because he didn't have time. He had already closed his apartment door when he realised that he didn't have his wallet with him. He let it be and grabbed his phone and started moving, rather quickly.
But where was he heading?
Charles had called him twenty minutes ago, presumably when he was in the shower. He didn't bother calling him back because he really wasn't in a mood to listen to some meaningless banter.
In a while, he stood where he stood last night, in front of SHEEP N' STAG. He got in. It was too bright and looked completely different. But the place still smelled like last night, of smoky lavender and a touch of old wine. The bartender smiled at him and came up to him.
"Sir, where would you like to be seated?" His voice, too boyish and young.
"I'm Darcy." He straightened his right hand towards the Asian guy and he shook his hand.
"It's really nice to meet you again, I'm Tony." He adjusted his spectacles looking down.
Darcy scanned the bar once, in a heartbeat, and that's when, something struck him, an idea.
"Whiskey sour? You have that on the bar?" Darcy's eyes met Toni's again after casually looking around once more.
"Absolutely sir! It'll be done in a minute."
Toni was gone off to prepare the drink and Darcy went towards the bar and sat down on one of the high rise chairs, facing the bartender.
"Toni, right?" The bartender stopped for a second and replied "yes".
"So, how long have you been working here?" Darcy asked him, picking up his glass of whiskey sour, not taking a sip yet.
Toni talked about not just the duration but the workplace and colleagues and the pay as well, none of which sparked any curiosity or interest within Darcy because all he could think of was how to ask Toni about the woman who was sitting right here, in place of Darcy, last night.
If Charles was in his place, he would have asked right away. That was probably his last resort too. He hoped to not let it get to that.
To not be like Charles; unplanned, messy and mindless.
"You drink whiskey?" Darcy spoke, clearing his throat.
"Umm...no, I don't. I don't prefer..." He was interrupted by Darcy.
"Wanna drink?" Darcy lifted his glass slightly in the air, holding it still, glared at him.
Toni adjusted his spectacles again, as if that was his way of showing hesitation.
"Okkkkay" Toni dragged out his word "Sure...why not." Toni muttered out.
"Cool enough!" Darcy put his glass down on the marble countertop with a clink and took a long sip.
Toni poured himself a quarter of the drink in a fresh glass and put it next to Darcy's glass.
Within ten minutes, Toni had filled his glass twice already and gulped it all down. Now, it was him putting his glass away when Darcy took the glass from his hand and placed it right next to his.
"I think we both have this in common. Three glasses are barely anything." Darcy didn't even finish his second and Toni was already pouring his third.
"Yeah, I was thinking to do at least four."
"I was thinking to go to least five."
"Oh Darcy. Yeah man. We should." This was the first time that he called him by his name.
Toni's glasses were off, his hair unkempt, and his voice a tad bit louder and slurry than it should be. Darcy adjusted in his tiny seat, compared to his sturdy 6"2 frame.
"You remind me of Bruce, you know." Darcy spoke, with a slight grin, pointing a finger at Toni.
"Bruce?" He took a quick sip
"Bruce Wayne, to be exact." Darcy noticed the change in Toni's demeanor when he heard "Wayne".
"Nah man. Not Wayne man. I mean, I can take Bruce Banner. But Bruce Wayne." Toni went backwards, in disbelief, shaking his head.
"You don't see it?" Darcy put his arms on top of the counter, leaning towards him slightly, his eyebrows raised. Toni shook his head a bit violently this time.
"I mean, it's not me who's saying it. I heard it from the woman you were talking to last night."
Toni looked up suddenly, his eyes met Darcy's. It couldn't be said who was more curious, on the edge or anxious.
He slowly dragged himself towards the counter, towards Darcy, still not breaking his gaze.
"Which woman?" Toni finally blurted out. His voice, seeming boyish again.
"What did you say to her? She seemed..." Darcy took a sip, keeping his eyes on Toni, letting it all sink in.
"Seemed what?"
"The way she talked about you, I'd call it enamored."
"Enamored? Are you talking about Maria, Natalie, Shawna..."
"I don't know her name."
"But you just said you knew her. She told you about me."
"When? I said I heard it. Not directly." Darcy emphasized the word "directly" a bit much.
"You mean, you eavesdropped."
"Why do you care? Who's the woman who had the mango ginger martini?" Even Darcy was surprised at his own memory, his hefty voice rose slightly and he noticed himself changing, shifting into a slightly different persona.
Since when did he lose patience?
"I heard it from somewhere, Toni." Darcy softened his voice a bit and regained his composure.
"Are you talking about her?" Toni came closer and whispered.
"How would I know who "her" is?" Darcy, maintaining his calm.
"Oh! Now I know who you're talking about. But wait." Toni paused as if he came to an epiphany, observing Darcy closely.
Darcy's attention got to something on the counter, it was his phone, and it was Charles calling him.
"What are you doing here?" Charles screamed into the phone and Darcy turned around to find him standing in a ragged old red shirt unbuttoned on top of a grey t-shirt. Darcy's eyes in utter shock, as if a nightmare had just taken shape.
How could he have possibly known where Darcy was?
Is he a sorcerer or what? Darcy thought.
"You really do look homeless, you know." Darcy spoke, eyeing Charles, despising his presence even more than he normally would. Charles is going to make his mission one hell of a ride. More difficult than it already is.
Charles shook hands with Toni, ignoring Darcy, "Introduce me to your new friend, won't you, Darcy."
"I'm Toni." He muttered sheepishly and Charles grinned at him.
Charles took his sunglasses off and seemed to be chewing a piece of gum. "Maybe you can consider answering my calls or texts or even emails." Charles spoke louder than necessary and the music wasn't even that loud.
"Well, maybe you can consider that a pair of sunglasses and chewing gum doesn't make anyone cool." Darcy spoke and Toni let out a slight chuckle at which Charles glared at Darcy.
"Excuse me, I have to pee. I'll be back in a bit." Toni spoke
"Oh Toni, I forgot about you. My bad. So, this man over here..."
"LET. HIM. GO. CHARLES." Darcy interrupted Charles and gestured at Toni and he left immediately.
Charles scowled and squinted at Darcy and scrutinized him up and down.
"What?" Darcy uttered.
"Why are you all dressed up?" Charles raised an eyebrow.
"What are you talking about?" Darcy took a sip but there wasn't any whiskey left.
Ever since Charles and Darcy got close, Charles always looked out for ways to trigger Darcy. This seemed to be his way of showing that Darcy was a douchebag, he was unfortunately close to. Darcy knew how to shrug it off though and thereafter, he never appeared to be surprised or amused or the least, give him the satisfaction that he was even minutely affected by it, although, he knew that this was his odd way of showing affection.
"On a date or what?" Charles asked
Darcy didn't answer and pretended to be busy in something.
"Wait...is he? Are you trying on guys now that you've found your incompatibility with women?" Charles mumbled with a straight face.
"We just happened to be chatting for a bit."
"And touching and kissing and..." Charles muttered under his breath but loud enough for Darcy to hear and nudged him by the elbow when he ignored Charles, "By the way, why is he taking so long in peeing?"
"How would I know?"
"Oh, you haven't got to that part yet? Ohhhh, there is our boy..."
Toni returned, seemingly flushed or rather embarassed as if he overheard the conversation.
It was quiet and Charles started to yell dramatically out of nowhere, "So, you won't tell me Darcy?"
Darcy looked at Charles like he had enough of his ridiculous pathetic persona.
"Sir, I forgot to tell you that last night, a woman asked about your details." Toni spoke
"About me?" Charles asked
"He is talking to me." Darcy spoke, not looking at Charles, leaning towards Toni with interest.
"So...what details exactly?" Darcy continued.
"Who asked for his details?" Charles jumped in, curious.
"A woman, her name was Lydia." Toni said
"You know her?" Darcy asked Charles at which he shrugged and after a five second pause Darcy asked, even though he hated it in front of Charles but he did it anyway, "Is she the mango lady?"
"The mango lady?" Charles made a funny expression.
"No sir. That's Ms. Bennet."
"Bennet?" Darcy spoke almost instantly.
"Ms. Elizabeth Bennet, sir."
ELIZABETH.
BENNET.
It rang in Darcy's head. Elizabeth , his mind said again and again and then once again.
"Ohh Elizabeth...yeah." Charles said casually, not knowing that it induced avalanches within Darcy's calm looking stature.
Darcy cleared his throat and slowly turned to face Charles and spoke, "You know her?"
"Who? Elizabeth?" Charles asked Toni to bring him a drink and he went to prepare the drink.
"Yeahh.." Darcy felt oddly uneasy all of a sudden. He tried to shrug the feeling off.
"Somehow connected to Colonel but I suppose she is a distant one. That's why we never see much of her."
Charles spoke after sipping his drink Toni passed towards him.
"Right, we don't." The word fell out of Darcy's mouth automatically.
"Huh?" Charles said
"Toni, who's that lady?" Darcy tried to change the subject.
"Lydia, she was here last night, she's a very close friend of Elizabeth. She told me she knows you but you don't know her."
"Oh! perfect description. Yeah I don't, clearly." Darcy sneered.
"If you want, I can do something like maybe set you up." Toni said hesitatingly.
"Lydia, interesting." Darcy looked far in the distance wondering about what to say next. "Sure, I think we can try that." Darcy looked at Charles.
"He asked only YOU." Charles snorted.
"Yeah, that's what I meant." Darcy spoke
Darcy didn't even bother explaining. It couldn't be said why he thought of saying yes to this proposal that landed onto him because as much as he was desperate to see the mysterious lady again, it could also take a bad turn.
Either way, Darcy seemed composed and had the air of peace around him now that at least he was one step closer to her.
To Elizabeth.
