by Cat Gardiner
Elizabeth looked in the mirror at her sister brushing her long hair out in smooth even strokes. “Thanks for sharing that, Janie. What a way to ruin my night before it’s even begun. What the hell is she talking about, fiancé?”
“Who knows? I try not to read into her crazy, too much, but you needed to know what she’s expecting for Christmas so that you don’t mess tonight up with your sassing and dating negativity. Please give Fitzwilliam a chance. I’m begging you and not because of Mom but because I know this man can add so much happiness to your life. Even though I’ve never met him, Charlie has never spoken so highly of any individual than how he speaks of his best man.”
“He’s Charlie's best man? You didn’t mention that before.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you two to meet for the first time at the rehearsal dinner.” Jane began to section Elizabeth’s hair, making a sleek twist with the top half, leaving the remainder long and flowing.
“Lizzy …” Jane swallowed hard, tentative to broach such a sensitive topic as John Lucas. The weight of her own imperfections were now causing cracks and fissures in her composure, as they continued to feed her guilt and regret for so many things – the most important of which was her foolish, drunken hook-up with him five years earlier.
Jane began her caution, “Please don’t go down the John Lucas road again. He’s not good for you. I remember how he used you and how long it took for you to find your voice and your independence. I know he’s a charmer and handsome, but his arrival home, at a time when the Christmas spirit is so important to you, can come to no good.”
Elizabeth knew her sister was right. Further flashes of memories had crept back into her conscious over the last two days. Monday at the office had been a veritable nightmare, particularly after he called trying to get an invite up to her condo so she could make him his favorite dish. Elizabeth thought she had made herself clear when their date ended on Sunday night. His insistence and presumption unnerved and annoyed her, and curiously made her also feel guilty about Darcy. If she was going to invite anyone for dinner, she’d rather him over John – that was for sure.
“I know you’re concerned. Thank you for that, but please trust me when it comes to John. In some ways, I think it a good thing that we have reunited at this time when I’ve embarked on this dating endeavor. It reminds me why my thirty-six points came to be in the first place. I promise not to become attached to him or allow him to manipulate me. I told him Sunday night at the end of our date that romance and rekindling our long-dead relationship wasn’t something I wanted to do.
Jane sighed in relief. “Thank goodness.”
“Unfortunately, I already made the premature mistake of inviting him as my escort to the FD Burn Foundation Holiday Ball this Sunday night.”
“You didn’t!”
“I did, but make no mistake, John is attending solely as my escort. It’s business, and Stan was delighted when I told him of his attendance. Though, he even objected to my going as his date, but in the end, he saw the wisdom from BADCo’s point of view. John’s reputation is good for publicity. As a supposed supporter of the Foundation, he could put them in even a greater spotlight, hence larger donations. So you might consider it as though I’m taking one for the team.”
“Oh, Lizzy, forget the advantages to the campaign. This sounds like a recipe for personal disaster.”
“Let’s face it, Jane, I needed a date and going with Charlotte’s date, – the three of us – wasn’t an option I wanted to consider. Going solo was a worse consideration.”
“Maybe … maybe, Fitzwilliam could be your date.”
“No, it’s already done. I’ve asked John and he’s agreed. Enough of that, I need a gown to wear.”
Jane smiled her best Pan-Am smile, because truly it wasn’t from the heart. “At least I can help you there.” Placing two long, black lacquer Asian hair sticks into her sister’s Asian inspired twist, she stepped back and admired her work. Exotic and sensual.
“Now the makeup. I know a few tricks on getting just the right look, and with those emerald eyes of yours, you’re gonna knock him dead. You may not think you’re perfect but I do, and I know he will, too.”
“Thanks, Janie.”
“You know I’d do anything to see you as happy as I am. I want all your dreams to come true and if Charlie and I can play Santa tonight and grant your wishes, well it’s the least we can do. I love you, sis.”
Jane left the dressing room to check on the final preparations in the kitchen, anxious to see if Charlie had done as instructed. She felt on edge with anticipation for her sister tonight but also undeniably tense. Feeling more and more like her mother every day, the gentle, poised woman she’d always thought herself to be couldn’t help the sudden outbursts and crabbiness that came over her these last two weeks. Unfortunately, it seemed as though, most of the time, Charlie was the target in her line of fire. She felt badly about that and terribly guilty about sneaking sweets behind his back. That little bowl of Hershey’s kisses was constantly being replenished whenever she was at home. She’d die if he ever found her secret candy stash in the Jimmy Choo shoebox below their bed. The initial three pounds gained had turned to five and now her wedding gown needed to be let out.
When the doorbell rang, Jane diverted from the direction of the kitchen. Though the eggnog had been first and foremost on her mind, the lure of the chocolate bowl was too great. She thought she heard a yappy dog bark coming from the kitchen but quickly disregarded it.
By the time Darcy arrived downtown, he had conquered the nerves he felt all day by carefully thinking through his plan and his appearance. He was hopeful, if not fully confident that the evening held promise, and stood at the open door wrapped against the December chill in a charcoal overcoat and ivory cashmere scarf.
Just as Jane greeted him with a brilliant smile, Darcy’s expectant grin seemed to diminish, faltering, ever so slightly. With immediate recognition Janie B., the Playboy centerfold who hung in Thorpe’s locker, stood before him.
The image of his best friend’s fiancée’s arrow tattoo pointing the direction to her Brazilian-waxed hot box, flashed before his eyes. He resisted the temptation to shake his head to clear the image and fought his knee-jerk reaction for his face to register shock. It disgusted him to know how all the men in the station lusted after Jane in that photograph – himself included. He was, after all, a hot-blooded man.
He felt the red hot blush emerge, feeling embarrassed by the knowledge that he saw Charlie’s Janie AND Elizabeth’s sister … Oh. My. God. Elizabeth’s sister was a Playboy centerfold! Darcy couldn’t help the natural progression of thought, which followed, Hmm ... does Elizabeth have a similar birthmark?
“Merry Christmas, you must be Fitzwilliam! Come in.”
He had to ask, although he knew. How could he not? “Merry Christmas. Jane?”
“Yes! I’m Jane – not your date.” She giggled. “Welcome. Charlie’s around here somewhere.”
The gentleman in him pushed all thoughts of her early career out of his mind, handing her a large bouquet of exotic flowers. “Please call me Will. These are for you, just a small thank you for the hostess. Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials.”
“How thoughtful of you. They’re beautiful. Thank you. And that one?” She pointed to the cellophane wrapped, long-stemmed, yellow rose.
He blushed again, temporarily resting the flower on the table, appropriately between the shiny balls and the Hershey’s kisses. “It’s for my date.”
“She loves yellow roses. How did you know?”
He lied. “Just a lucky guess. I feel lucky – maybe it’s the moon.”
“Yes, the full moon is lucky. I’ve been saying that all evening. So that bottle must be for Charlie.” She grinned knowingly.
“Only the best for a man with impeccable taste in wine. I knew he couldn’t have this vintage in his collection yet. Charlie’s probably been chomping at the bit for a bottle.”
Accompanied with the t
ap, tap, tap of paw nails upon the expensive flooring, Charlie reached the foyer, greeting Darcy with a broad smile and a welcoming handshake. “Did I hear my name?”
Cancun looked up watching the exchanges of handshake and gift giving.
“Whoa Ho! Is that wine for me? Christmas is early. Clos Fourtet 2009 Saint-Emilion. A case just sold on the exchange for over three grand back in September.”
“That was my purchase. Um … Charlie, when did you get a dog?”
All eyes traveled to the little pooch, over-dressed in Burberry, sitting obediently at Charlie’s feet.
Darcy bent to pet the dog’s head, “Hey, fella. What’s your name? What a good boy you are.”
“Charlie? Where did this tartan-clad dog come from?” Jane asked.
She turned to hang up Darcy’s coat, noticing the hard-bodied man’s designer attire: crisp ice blue dress shirt beneath a Canali V-neck sweater – that alone was seven hundred dollars- charcoal grey trousers and an unmistakable pair of black Ferragamos – probably another twelve hundred. Her sister’s date was a far cry from the half-naked firefighter she'd seen at the auditions. This man was outfitted head to toe as the consummate, wealthy, professional New Yorker. He could have stepped right out of GQ’s best-dressed edition if only his attire weren't so beautifully subdued. One accessory he wore didn’t escape her notice: Dolce & Gabbana eyeglasses. Those were the perfect accessory that any man seeking to win over her sister could possibly wear.
“Charlie! Did you hear me? What’s the story with this dog?” She demanded a bit too abruptly even for her own ears.
Lost in the excitement of this Christmas gift, Charlie momentarily forgot his new friend. “Dog? Oh! Right. This is Cancun. He’s Caroline’s new boutique dog.”
He took two steps away from his fiancée, anxious to make a getaway from both Darcy and Jane at the mention of Caroline and the dog. “Can I get you a drink, Darce? Soda, sparkling water, a little homemade eggnog?”
“Eggnog sounds great, so long as it’s alcohol free. I’ve been kinda dry this holiday season.”
“Sure, of course it is. Absolutely. Janie why don’t you take Darcy up to the living room and I’ll bring our drinks up after checking on the hors d’ oeuvres?”
She gave Charlie a smile that said, I know you’re up to something, as she placed the bouquet into his hands, inferring he put them in a vase on the dining room sideboard. Of course, he had become a mind reader these days.
The sweet intonation in her voice he knew to be saccharine. “Charlie is Caroline here?”
With his back quickly turning, nearly running from the foyer in unison with the little mutt, Charlie tossed backward, “Um … yeah … she sort of invited herself. Sorry Darcy, but she’s upstairs waiting for you with bells on and new breasts.”
By the time he was safely concealed from anything projectile he added loudly, “Sorry Princess!”
“Caroline’s here? Did I hear that correctly?” Darcy became suddenly nervous for a whole new reason. With Caroline present, he anticipated disaster. He removed the rose from the table, brining it with him as Jane led him from the foyer.
Fuming behind her beautiful smile, she played it off as though nothing was amiss. Her internal mantra repeated, This is no big deal, over and again. “Don’t worry, Fitzwilliam. Your date will enjoy the show Charlie’s sister puts on. In fact, I venture she may even be a little jealous at Caroline’s efforts and knowing Lizzy’s competitive nature, that can only work to your advantage.”
Darcy hoped Jane was right. He had given a lot of thought and planning into tonight, right down to deliberately wearing his eyeglasses, something he hadn’t done in years. One by one, he hoped to tear down Elizabeth’s pre-conceived notions, walls, criteria, reservations and lists that she had set in place. He hoped that after tomorrow night on their date, there would be no question in her mind about the kind of man Fitzwilliam Darcy was or have any doubt about his feelings for her.
“Is she here yet?”
“Yes, Lizzy’s just getting ready. She shouldn’t be much longer. Let’s go upstairs, the views from the terraces are extraordinary tonight.”
“It’s the moon, the promise of good things to come, the embodiment of the Christmas spirit.”
Jane looked back at him as they ascended the steps. Already she liked him. First and foremost, he was classy and gentlemanly but more than that, he had a pleasant, optimistic demeanor. He was comforting and warm. Instinctively, she knew he would treat her most beloved sister like a princess, something Elizabeth had never experienced. “The moon … funny, I told Lizzy the same thing.”
Caroline heard their approach and purposefully placed herself before the wood-burning fireplace. Striking a pose, she somehow imagined that the expensive Christmas decorations upon the mantle would complement her animal print attire and showcase her newly enhanced figure as though she was the spectacular, shiny ornament. Sadly for her, the twinkling lights only served to cast a macabre hue upon her freshly dyed orange hair. Not to mention, the large red bow situated at the bottom of the spruce wreath above her head clashed badly with the unnatural color.
Her arm lay draped across the edge of the mantle in an obvious attempt to appear nonchalant. With feet strategically positioned, as only a seasoned portrait photographer would orchestrate, she pushed her breasts forward, and spoke through plump lips, “Will … Dahlink. It’s so good to see you.”
“Caroline, hi. Merry Christmas.” As only a best friend to Charlie would, he kissed her cheek in greeting. “What’s it been, four - five months since I last saw you?”
She moved her hand to caress his bicep, her perfectly manicured fingers making a small squeeze. “No, silly, don’t you recall I ran into you at Paul Labrecque?”
“Right.”
That’s right, now he remembered her stalking him at the salon. Darcy thoughtfully smiled. In some measure, he was doing the same thing to Elizabeth by reading her blog. He tried not to think too judgmentally of Caroline just then, recognizing and suddenly understanding acutely how it was to be so attracted to someone that you would find yourself doing things you never before would consider doing, much less condoning.
With a downturn to her puffy lips, Caroline asked, “What’s with the glasses? They hide your beautiful eyes and get in the way of those finely shaped cheekbones of yours. Not becoming at all.”
“They’re Dolce & Gabbana,” Jane informed her as she approached the fireplace.
“Oh well, then they’re perfect. Oh Will, you’re quite the trendsetter. Jane, doesn’t that Gandy Candy model for Dolce & Gabbana?”
“Yes, I believe he does.” Jane kissed both Caroline’s cheeks. “I’m so happy you popped in to join us tonight. You look lovely, animal is your print.”
“Thank you, Janie.” Caroline ran her hand down Darcy’s arm. “You know I wouldn’t have missed tonight for the world, especially after seeing that Eyewitness news report about Will’s calendar. You’re quite the charitable one, Dahlink, baring all for a tiny, unknown charity. To think I’ve been after you for years to take of your clothes, when all I needed to do was tell you a camera was involved. Who knew you were such an exhibitionist.”
Darcy cleared his throat and politely thanked her - for what he didn’t know – but he certainly didn’t want to offend her or his hosts. “I didn’t bare all and I wouldn’t exactly consider the FD Burn Foundation a tiny charity. They save many lives through skin grafts, burn victim care, and rehabilitation. The money the Foundation raises purchases operating room equipment, cryo-preserve freezers for skin, and they even put surgical residents through one-year fellowships at Presbyterian’s Burn Center. I could go on and on about all the large things this charity does, but not tonight. The most important thing I could tell you as to why the Foundation isn’t as tiny as you think it’s that they help people put their lives back together after the pain and trauma of their life-changing burns. It’s not just for the firefighters, it’s for the children and everyone who has suffered third and
fourth degree burns. Hopefully not something you will ever have to experience but, rest assured, the Foundation would be there for you, too.”
Caroline, now properly set in her place, quickly changed the subject, leaving Darcy with a smirk on his face. She stepped away from the mantle with an exaggerated flourish of her arm. “So Janie, I love what you’ve done with the holiday decorations. They must have set you back a cool twenty grand. Who’s your decorator?”
Downstairs, Elizabeth stood across from Charlie on the other side of the galley island, pouring potent eggnog into wine glasses followed by a sprinkling of nutmeg on top. “Did you make this, Charlie?”
“Yeah, my contribution to the evening. That and cleaning the kitchen after Hurricane Jane blew through.”
“She never was very good at organizing. I venture to guess, that’s her only imperfect attribute. It’s amazing that she and I were delivered from the same womb. Funny … I think my mother would agree, too.”
“I’m thinking the reason you’re hanging out in here with me is because you’re afraid to go upstairs?”
“You bet-cha!” Elizabeth raised her glass and took a big long drink. “Wow, this is incredible.”
Charlie laughed and shook his head in enthusiastic agreement. “Well that should take away your nervousness. Don’t worry about a thing. You look amazing. You are amazing, and my friend thinks so too.”