by MK McGowan
Charlotte had called ahead for reservations, so the group only had to wait 20 minutes in the bar. It was long enough for Darcy to down a vodka martini and for Kate to slam a Black Russian. At least they have something in common, Elizabeth mused, even if it is just vodka.
The hostess escorted them to their table, and another dilemma arose. Seating order. Elizabeth ended up between Kate and Darcy again, but things were getting a little looser now, thanks to the alcohol.
“The food here is fabulous,” Darcy said, trying to get the conversational ball rolling. “Especially the seafood.”
“Do you come here a lot?” Elizabeth asked.
“Darcy loves to eat out,” Kate said. “I don’t think she even owns a saucepan,” she added snidely.
“I don’t buy things I don’t need,” Darcy responded. She shot Kate a warning glance. “Or play with things that aren’t mine to play with.”
Darcy turned her attention to Elizabeth. “I do come here quite often,” she said. “And Kate is right. I don’t know how to cook. Thank God for frozen foods. I can microwave with the best of them.” She smiled softly at Elizabeth, who responded in kind.
“And she makes a mean cappuccino,” Charlotte offered helpfully.
“That’s what Longborn really needs,” Jane said. “A good coffeehouse. Especially if there’s going to be a lot of tourist traffic. There’s one great bakery and Stella’s cafe, but that’s pretty much it unless you want to drive to Dallas. I think a good coffeehouse would make a killing.”
Elizabeth knew that food was near and dear to Jane’s heart. She’d considered becoming a chef when she was younger, but she wanted a more reliable way to earn a living.
“You know, I need to see this place before I go any further with my plans,” Kate said smoothly. “Would you show me around if I came down for a few days, Elizabeth? Be my own personal tour guide?” She emphasized the word personal.
“I’d be happy to,” Elizabeth said politely, which earned her a frown from Darcy. “Although, I have to admit, there’s not all that much to see,”
“Oh, I’m sure there’s plenty you can show me, Elizabeth,” Kate said with a flirtatious lilt.
“You could always show her the prickly pear,” Darcy suggested.
“And there’s the old rock quarry. That’s fairly photogenic. Although, you do have to be careful. People have been known to disappear there,” Jane said. Apparently, Darcy wasn’t the only one disturbed by Kate’s obvious interest in Elizabeth.
The conversation quickly shifted back to the plans for the town. It was a somewhat safe topic for everyone, and they discussed the potential development until their meal arrived.
As Darcy promised, the food was delicious. But by the time dinner was over, Charlotte and Jane only had eyes for each other, Kate appeared to be hanging on Elizabeth’s every word, and Darcy kept shooting not-so-subtle glares at the architect. It was up to Elizabeth to keep any semblance of a conversation going, and even she was faltering under the strain by the time the bill arrived.
***
Darcy and Kate bickered over the check. Darcy won by pointing out that it was business dinner and that she fully intended to charge Carolyn for the meal. A dinner with her ex certainly qualified as work. Actually, it qualified as hell, but even Carolyn can’t cover those charges.
They walked back to the car in silence. The situation had all the awkwardness of a first date with none of the potential payoff. Charlotte, Jane, and Kate were talking about going to a dance club, but Darcy had had enough. Despite Carolyn’s threats, Darcy decided that Elizabeth was not her responsibility. Nor was she a country mouse who needed protecting from the bad, big-city lesbians. If Elizabeth wanted to flirt with Kate Wickham, it was none of Darcy’s business. But she didn’t have to stay around and watch. She announced to everyone that she had a headache and was going home.
Charlotte offered to drive her, but Darcy declined. “I’ll see everyone at the office in the morning.”
Everyone said their goodbyes and “hope you feel betters” with varying degrees of sincerity. Darcy had walked only a few yards when she heard someone shouting her name. She turned around and was surprised to see Elizabeth running after her.
Darcy had two diametrically opposed impulses. The first was to hop on the first bus that came her way. The second, more surprising, impulse was to throw her arms around Elizabeth and pick up where they’d left off in her hotel room a few weeks ago.
She didn’t give in to either impulse. Instead, she reluctantly waited for Elizabeth to catch up. She had a feeling Elizabeth was going to be trouble. She wasn’t sure how much, or exactly what kind, but Elizabeth had trouble written all over her, and Darcy usually went out of her way to avoid trouble.
Elizabeth trotted up to Darcy and stopped about two feet away. “I didn’t much feel like dancing tonight either. We flew in pretty late last night,” she offered in explanation. “In fact, I thought I’d turn in early.”
Darcy wasn’t going to touch that remark with a 10- foot pole. She uttered a noncommittal, “I see.”
“How’s your head?”
“My head?”
“You said you had a headache, remember?” Elizabeth said.
“Oh, right,” Darcy said with a slight nod. “It’s not too bad. A couple of aspirin, and it’ll be fine in the morning.” She glanced at Elizabeth speculatively. “Sometimes coffee helps my headaches. Would you like to go get some? There’s a shop not far from here.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
Darcy smiled her first heartfelt smile of the day. “Let’s go.”
Elizabeth shivered and rubbed her hands. “I always forget how cold it gets here. I always think of California as war and sunny.”
Darcy dug in her pockets, pulled out a pair of gloves, and offered them to Elizabeth, who took them gratefully and looped her arm through Darcy’s as they started down the street. Darcy told herself Elizabeth was only trying to stay warm.
They slipped into the quiet interior of the coffee shop, scanned the offerings on the chalkboard behind the counter, and placed their orders. Elizabeth ordered hot chocolate, and Darcy ordered a coffee and chocolate concoction that she knew took forever to prepare. Her desire to get home had diminished substantially. She pointed Elizabeth to a table near the window and pulled out her wallet. Elizabeth stilled her hand. “This is definitely not a business expense,” she said as she handed the barista some cash. Then she headed for the table Darcy had pointed out.
Darcy followed quickly but not so quickly that she couldn’t enjoy the view. She slowed down as they approached the empty table. She pulled out a chair for Elizabeth but hesitated before sitting down herself. She looked down with suspicion. “Before I sit down, you’re not on call tonight, are you?” Darcy asked.
“No. Why?”
Darcy laughed. “I just wanted to know if I had to worry about you dashing off in the middle of our conversation,” she said.
Elizabeth chuckled and said, “I am a completely free woman for the next few days. So, please, make yourself comfortable.”
Darcy sat down next to her, and they spent the next hour talking about everything but the proposed development in Longborn. They discovered that while they had wildly different taste in authors and music, they shared an affection for films from the 1930s and 1940s. The conversation was as free and as easy as the dinner conversation had been forced.
“There’s a Preston Sturges retrospective coming in December and I can’t wait,” Darcy said.
“That’s one of the things I miss living in Longborn. You have to drive to Dallas or Austin for something like that. On the other hand, it’s hard to catch a large mouth bass off the Golden Gate Bridge,” Elizabeth said.
“Oh please. There are plenty of outdoor sports you can do around here,” Darcy scoffed.
“Oh yeah? Name three,” Elizabeth challenged. Darcy didn’t strike Elizabeth as an outdoorsman. Probably the shoes, she thought, remembering the hei
ght of her heels.
Darcy laughed. “Okay, it’s true that I don’t get outside much, but I have it on good authority that the ocean is quite close. So there’s all those beachy type things to do.”
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in disbelief. “Beachy type things? You mean like swimming, surfing, deep sea fishing?”
“Yeah, those things,” Darcy said agreeably.
“Remind me to take you camping sometime,” Elizabeth teased.
“What? You mean like sleep outside and everything?” A look of horror passed over Darcy’s face.
“Yep, sleep outside under the stars. Cook over a campfire. The whole deal.”
“But what about bears?” Darcy asked.
“Bears?” Elizabeth chuckled. “There are no bears where I live. Maybe a cougar or a coyote, but even that’s pretty rare. Nope, what you have to worry about are rattlesnakes. Oh, and scorpions and tarantulas. And the occasional rabid squirrel,” she said with a laugh.
Darcy blanched as Elizabeth reeled off the litany of outdoor dangers. Her run-in with the cactus and her newly acquired knowledge of Texas wildlife convinced her that the state was best viewed through the safety of a window.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Darcy said. “You won’t make me go camping, and I won’t make you …” she hesitated, unsure of what Elizabeth might find objectionable.
Elizabeth supplied it for her. “You won’t make me have dinner with you and Kate again,” she said. “Deal?” Elizabeth held out her hand to shake on it.
Darcy didn’t want to let go of Elizabeth’s hand once she grasped it. At that instant, Darcy realized she was in deep trouble.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Elizabeth, head buried beneath her pillow, heard the water in the shower start. She knew Jane was home from her night of debauchery. At least, for her friend’s sake, she hoped it was debauchery. She heard singing, loud and off-key, over the sound of the water. She smiled, happy that Jane was having some fun.
Unlike me. She’d talked with Darcy for two hours. She thought they were connecting, especially when Darcy escorted her home. As they said goodbye at the door, she invited Darcy up for a nightcap. She groaned and buried her face in her pillow. Who uses lines like that anymore? I’m ridiculously out of practice. Still, she was surprised when Darcy declined, citing work responsibilities. Elizabeth went upstairs and climbed into bed frustrated and alone.
Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to question Darcy about the ex-girlfriend. But hell, I need to know what’s going on between them, she thought, especially if I’m going to be working with the both of them. All Darcy volunteered when Elizabeth asked how long they’d been together was a cryptic “depends on who you ask.” Darcy’s tone indicated that other inquiries would not be welcomed. Shortly thereafter, Darcy said she needed to get home. By the time they reached Michelle’s apartment, the conversation had regained its easy familiarity, so Darcy’s subsequent rejection both surprised and stung. It’s not like I was asking for a lifetime commitment. Just the proverbial roll in the hay. Was that too much to ask?
Elizabeth groaned and got out of bed. She grabbed her robe and headed for the kitchen. If she wasn’t getting sex, she had to have coffee.
***
Darcy ran into Charlotte at the lobby elevator. Charlotte’s grin was impervious to Darcy’s bad mood.
“All right, spill it,” Darcy ordered when her friend started whistling The Eyes of Texas.
“I think she’s the one, Darce. I really do. I told her I loved her last night. Know what she did?”
“Ran screaming into the night?”
“No. She said she loved me, too. Isn’t that amazing?” Charlotte’s smiled.
Darcy couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah, that’s awesome, Charlie. I’m happy for you.” Much to her own surprise, Darcy actually meant it. Jane seemed like a nice woman, and Charlotte deserved that.
As they stepped out of the elevator on their floor, Charlotte said, “By the way, we’re having Thanksgiving dinner with Jane and Elizabeth. And their friends.”
Before Darcy could respond, Charlotte was halfway down the hallway, still whistling that damned tune.
***
“So how was the rest of your evening?” Jane asked, as they sat at the table with their coffee.
“It was fine,” Elizabeth said. “I ran into Darcy, and we stopped for a cup of coffee on the way home.” She started buttering a bagel nonchalantly.
Finally, the weight of Jane’s stare made her put down the butter knife. “What?” she asked with surly self-absorption.
“You happened to run into Darcy? In all of San Francisco? Come on, Elizabeth. Admit it, you like her,” Jane said. “It’s okay to like someone, you know.”
Elizabeth stared at her friend like she was a little slow. “Yes, Jane, I like her. But I don’t ‘like’ like her. Unlike you, I’m not looking for a great romance. I’d just like to get laid once more this decade. And let’s face it. The pickings are pretty slim at home, and the hours I work make trips to Dallas pretty rare.”
Jane acknowledged her point, but she wasn’t deterred. “So if you met for coffee, why didn’t you bring her home with you?”
“For your information, Miss Nosy, I tried. She walked me home, and I invited her up, but she shot me down,” Elizabeth said ruefully.
Jane snorted in disdain. She was offended on her friend’s behalf. “She must be insane. It’s a good thing she didn’t come up, after all. You’re much better off without her.” Jane took a sip of coffee. “Oh nooooo,” she wailed, setting her cup down suddenly.
“What? What’s wrong?” Elizabeth asked.
“I invited Charlotte to Thanksgiving.”
“So? There’s always plenty of food, and everyone brings friends. One more won’t matter,” Elizabeth reassured her.
“Yeah, but I told her to bring Darcy,” Jane said with an apologetic wince.
“Oh crap!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Darcy locked herself in her office and plunged into her work. She didn’t want to think about the opportunity she passed up last night. She knew that had she gone up, she would have stayed the night. And probably the morning. Halfway through their conversation at the coffee shop, she was ready and eager to take Elizabeth to bed and screw her brains out. Then Elizabeth had mentioned Kate, effectively killing Darcy’s good mood. Kate is ruining my life even when she isn’t around. Perhaps it’s for the best, Darcy reluctantly admitted.
Darcy had gazed into Elizabeth’s warm eyes and decided that maybe she shouldn’t go through with it. Sex, even great sex, would complicate their nascent working relationship. She wasn’t ready to admit, even to herself, that she actually liked Elizabeth. That was a layer of complication she didn’t even want to consider.
Darcy shook her head to clear it of all distractions. There were only two more workdays in the week, and she fully intended to take advantage of the upcoming four-day weekend. Of course, Thanksgiving is ruined thanks to Charlotte, but that still leaves me three days. And with Charlotte totally occupied by her libido, Darcy was free to go shopping. For as long as she wanted. Clothes in the morning, books in the afternoon, and shoes on Saturday.
A knock on her door disrupted her virtual shopping extravaganza. “Come in,” she yelled.
Helen stuck her head in the doorway. “Dr. Austin is here, and Carolyn wants you all in the conference room, pronto,” she said.
“Thanks, Helen. I’ll be right there.”
Darcy hopped up, grabbed her laptop, and scurried into the hallway. She almost collided with Charlotte, who was still smiling. That’s seriously starting to annoy me, Darcy thought darkly as she fell into step with her friend. They hustled into the room. Kate and Elizabeth were waiting for them, and they were laughing when Darcy pushed open the door. Kate smirked at her, and Darcy felt her blood pressure rise.
“Let’s get started,” Darcy said tersely.
They spent the next hour discussing the project. Finally, it
seemed like Elizabeth was running out of questions. It’s about time, Darcy thought. She’d met city planners with fewer concerns.
Carolyn burst through the door as the meeting was winding down. Not for the first time, Darcy wondered if her boss had the room bugged.
“I hope they answered all you concerns, Elizabeth,” Carolyn said. “I’d like you to think about it, and then we’ll get together to discuss actual terms, okay?”
Elizabeth nodded, her expression reserved. “That’ll be fine.”
Carolyn noticed Darcy trying to sneak out the door. She pinned her in place with a controlling look. “I’m having a little pre-Thanksgiving soirée tomorrow night, and I’d like all of you to be there.” From the way she said it, they knew it wasn’t an optional appearance.
Great, another part of my time off ruined, Darcy thought. But then she reminded herself that to have time off, you had to be employed. At least the food will be good.
Carolyn talked to Elizabeth for a few more minutes. “When you’re done here, come to my office,” Carolyn commanded Darcy as she sailed haughtily from the room.
“I guess we'll see you at Carolyn's party,” Charlotte said. “But until then, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call. Call Darcy, that is, because I'll be busy,” she added with a twinkle in her eye.
Elizabeth gathered her papers and looked over at Darcy. “I’d like to thank y’all for answering all my questions. I know this probably isn’t your typical deal.”
“Believe me, it was our pleasure,” Kate said. “It’s nice to meet someone who actually cares about sustainable development. In fact, I’d love to continue our discussion over lunch.”
With a defiant glance at Darcy, Elizabeth accepted the lunch invitation.
Darcy rolled her eyes and pointedly left the room.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Darcy slipped on her shoes and took one last look in the mirror. She was going to be late, but she was having trouble working up much concern. She could always say that she had to work late. Carolyn would like that. Darcy adjusted her blazer one last time. Her outfit wasn’t seasonal, but she knew she looked good in it. You can’t go wrong with black. And besides, it matches my mood. She was feeling very put upon. Kate had been hanging around the office too much for her tastes, Carolyn was piling on the work with no end in sight, and this new project had already been a colossal pain the ass – and they hadn’t even gotten to the hard parts yet. Get through tonight, and you have the next four days off, she told herself.