Beginning, Previous Section, Section IV, Next Section
After they finished lunch, they took care of the check, but not before Elizabeth said good bye to Mr. Lucas.
"Mr. Lucas, thank you for lunch. It was nice seeing you again." Elizabeth smiled warmly at him.
"You're quite welcome." He hesitated before he continued, "Charlotte is coming home for the summer. As soon as we find out which college Maria has been accepted to we plan to have a gathering, a celebration." Mr. Lucas looked at Elizabeth for any signs of reluctance, but saw that there was none. "We would like it very much if you and your family can join us. It's been a long time since we've all seen each other." Mr. Lucas ended with a smile.
"I'd like to see Charlotte again. I'll let my sister and mother know of your plans." Elizabeth did want to see Charlotte again, but she felt like something was not quite right. She looked behind her and saw William standing a few feet away. He had been listening to the conversation.
Mr. Lucas looked in the same direction as Elizabeth. "Of course, you and your sister are more than welcome to bring any friends ."
Elizabeth looked down and blushed. Were they just friends? She wondered. William wondered the same thing and saw Elizabeth's reaction to Mr. Lucas' comment. There was an awkward silence, so William thought he should speak up.
"Thank you, Mr. Lucas." William said.
As if William's words were an answer to the question Elizabeth had asked herself, she replied, "Yes, thank you Mr. Lucas." She felt a pang of disappointment, but realized to expect so much so soon would be unreasonable. Elizabeth reminded herself how she would not let her feelings runaway. She smiled at Mr. Lucas to mask the conflicting ideas going through her mind. Then Elizabeth and William proceeded to walk out of the restaurant.
As they walked out, they did not say anything for a while. They were both thinking about Mr. Lucas' comment about bringing a friend.
William had never met anyone like Elizabeth. She was beautiful, charming, witty... He snuck a glance at Elizabeth. She looked at the shops' window displays and also gazed further down the street. When she thanked Mr. Lucas for inviting him as one of her friends he could not help flinching at the word. He believed when she thanked Mr. Lucas, it confirmed that that's how Elizabeth perceived him ---a friend.
Before he could dwell on this more, Elizabeth spoke up, "What did you think of Mr. Lucas?" Elizabeth searched William's face for a response.
"He seems like a very kind person."
"Yes. He's been very kind to my family, especially when..." her voice trailed off. She wondered how she always ended up talking about her father whenever she was around William. Elizabeth looked down and her brow furrowed.
William wanted so much to hold her hand and... They were off of the main street and heading towards the residential area. William thought it best not to dwell on what he could not do. He cleared his throat and said, "How did you decide to become a teacher?"
Elizabeth was glad that the topic had been changed. Even though she unwittingly brought up her father with William several times, she was not ready to really talk about it. In fact, she never really had talked about it before.
"Well, when I learned that I could not play for the Dodgers," William laughed, "I decided to do the next best thing."
William looked inquiringly at Elizabeth.
"I knew I wanted to do something that was related to reading. I wasn't sure what though. I'll admit that I was unsure about going into teaching." Elizabeth hesitated before she continued, "But, I was convinced by a third grader named Amy." A smile spread across her lips.
William did not say anything. He was content in just listening to the sound of her voice. He enjoyed their conversation very much.
"Three summers ago, I worked at a summer program that emphasized reading, writing and math in the mornings and physical activities and field trips in the afternoon. I was involved with the reading and writing section." Elizabeth began to feel more comfortable talking about her experience.
"One day, we did an activity where I played an instrumental piece and the kids had to write or draw a response about the music they listened to. The piece I played for them was Aaron Copland's 'Hoe-Down' from 'Rodeo'." A wide grin spread across her face again. "It's a very fast-paced and lively piece and it's been used in movies and commercials, so I knew it would be something the kids would be somewhat familiar with. But, I wanted them to hear the music by itself without any visuals that would influence their interpretation of the piece."
By this time, William was intrigued by the emotion she conveyed by recalling this particular memory. He did not know anyone who could get excited over something that seemed minor. Her eyes were bright and her expression was happy. It caused him to smile.
"After the piece had been played, I played it again and asked the kids to write about or draw what kind of pictures came to their mind as the music played. When they finished, I had them share what they wrote." Elizabeth watched as a young girl riding her bike pass them. "Most of the kids wrote about how they saw a big open field with horses and cowboys except one girl--Amy. She was eight. She saw a ballet happening and she thought the music was pretty." Elizabeth smiled wistfully and her eyes were moist.
"I know that the music was not written for that purpose, but it didn't matter. She interpreted it her own way and I like to believe that I had something to do with that." She paused before she added, "From that moment, I knew it didn't matter whether I taught reading or writing. What became important to me was connecting or somehow making a positive impression on a child."
They had reached her apartment. Elizabeth looked up. William steadily looked at her. His eyes were gentle. Time seemed nonexistent at that moment and she was not sure how long they had been standing there.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go on that way. I'm sure you were ready to leave a long time ago." Elizabeth's ears were burning and it was hard for her to meet William's gaze.
"No. Don't worry about it." He hesitated before he said, "I enjoyed listening to your experience very much." The sincerity in his eyes could not be doubted. "Do you have plans this evening?" He was looking down at the ground when he said this.
Elizabeth almost responded immediately in the negative, but remembered that she did have plans.
She hesitated before she said, "I...I do have plans." When William looked up, there was a slight look of disappointment in his eyes. He wondered if she had plans to go out with someone else. He realized that this was only their second date and he could not expect them to be on exclusive terms so early in their acquaintance.
"I have to do some work." His eyebrows were still furrowed. "I usually leave my work for Sundays, but I have to get a head start on it because of upcoming events at work." William's brow relaxed a bit.
"Since I have to go to a workshop on Wednesday, I have to come up with lesson plans for the substitute and those take time for me to do. Then in two weeks, our grades are due for students' progress reports and I'm behind with my grading." Elizabeth did not know why she felt compelled to explain herself in such a manner.
William smiled. "It's alright. I understand."
Elizabeth did not like leaving things like this. She did want to see him again, but knew that she had to take care of her work. She took a step closer to him. Elizabeth fiddled with the belt loop on her shorts before she said, "I'd really like it if you'd call me later this evening."
William, disarmed by her timid honesty, stammered as he said, "I-I'd like that too."
A warm smile spread across Elizabeth's face as she stood back. William, enchanted by her smile, almost followed her as she stepped back, but stopped himself as he realized what he was about to do.
"What time may I call you?"
Elizabeth checked her watch. It was past 3 o'clock. "How about around 6?"
William smiled and nodded in response.
One of Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up. "Will you have any trouble calling me?"
William, confused by the comment at first, remembered the whole incident of finding out her phone number. William laughed quietly and said, "No, I shouldn't have any trouble calling you this evening." A smile lingered on his face.
Elizabeth admitted shyly, "I had a good time with you today." She pretended to be preoccupied with the ground.
He stepped closer and said, "I had a good time too."
Elizabeth looked up and saw William smiling tenderly at her. Then she suddenly became aware of William's proximity to her. For a moment, Elizabeth believed that William was leaning in towards her. When she realized that he was leaning in towards her, she became alarmed and took a step back.
She felt her ears and cheeks burning as she stammered out, "I-I should be...going." Elizabeth smiled nervously at William.
William was perplexed by her behavior. He had fully intended to kiss her. He thought by the way she looked and what she had said that she wanted him to, but now it appeared as if she did not want him to. William rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat before he said, "Yes. You've got some work to do." He was not really thinking about what he said. William's ears were also red.
It was not like Elizabeth had never kissed a guy on a second date before, but this was different. William did not seem like he was just any other guy. Elizabeth felt that she had to be careful. She did not want to get carried away by her feelings, but she also saw William's embarrassment and did not want him to feel like his advances were completely unwanted.
Elizabeth approached him again and held his gaze. William was caught off guard by her bold move. Before he could react, with her hand she reached for one side of his face and placed a kiss on the other side. Then she took her hand away and stepped back.
The burning in her cheeks had intensified. When she looked at William, his mouth was slightly opened and he blinked several times before he regained his senses.
Elizabeth, pleased with his reaction, smiled at William. As she began walking back, but facing William, she asked, "You're still going to call me this evening?"
William licked his lips before he said, "Absolutely."
Elizabeth laughed and said goodbye before she turned away and walked up and into her apartment.
William could still feel her hand and lips on his face. He absently touched his cheek where her lips had been. It was a brief and innocent kiss, but it left a fiery sensation on his skin. A yearning feeling haunted him as he looked at the door that Elizabeth had gone through only moments before. He shook his head out of his reverie. William took a breath as he began walking to his car. He realized that Elizabeth may have had some foresight as to what may have happened if she had allowed him to kiss her. He laughed to himself.
As he got into his car, he decided that he had to be more careful when he felt the need to express his like for Elizabeth to her. He realized that he would have to proceed cautiously and that Elizabeth was not like other women who were more than happy to receive his attentions. He laughed at himself again as he realized that it was probably best that he talked to Elizabeth on the phone this evening because if they did see each other again... William shook off the inviting ideas that had invaded his head as he drove home.
If we were to return to Elizabeth to see how she was doing, we would discover that her feelings were quite similar to William's. When she got through the door and shut it, she leaned back on it and touched her lips. She did not intend for her lips to linger on his face. In fact, she made it a point to be quick about kissing him on the cheek. After she had kissed him and pulled away, she felt a tingling sensation in her lips. The smoothness of his skin on her lips pleasantly surprised her. Then she laughed to herself as she remembered William's expression after she had kissed him on the cheek.
Elizabeth proceeded to go to her room. As she passed the bathroom, she could hear the shower running. "It must be Jane getting ready for her date with Charles." Elizabeth thought. She walked passed the bathroom and went into her own room. As she shut the door, she threw her mitt on the floor. Then she took a deep and steady breath before she walked over to her bed and fell on it unceremoniously on her back. She began twirling some locks of her hair while she looked up at the ceiling. Elizabeth was not ready to tell Jane about how the date with William went. She wanted some time to think about it.
She could not deny that she liked William very much. She also got the impression that William felt the same way judging by what almost happened a few moments ago. As she turned to her side, she grabbed a pillow and placed it next to her. She was leaning on one arm and the other was draped across the pillow. She started wondering what it would have been like if William had kissed her. She giggled when she realized that it would have been a kiss like she had never experienced before. She sighed as she put the pillow under her head and lay on her back again. She had no doubt that there was an attraction between them, but she wondered if there could be something more than just an attraction.
After some moments of deliberation, Elizabeth had resolved to try and move pass the physical attraction between them and to try to get to know William. She realized that she may have to treat him like a friend in order to see if something worthwhile could exist between them. She sighed again at the realization of her resolve. She touched her lips again as she remembered what had transpired in what was supposed to be an innocent kiss. She shook her head at the challenges she was going to face by treating William like a friend.
Part 1 "Anne's Suggestion"
William entered his house and a thump was heard as he dropped his keys on an oak end table. He stood for a moment and ran his hand through his hair as he thought about his date with Elizabeth. Slowly, he reached for his cheek where Elizabeth had kissed him. He closed his eyes as he remembered how soft her lips felt on his face. William felt his body become warmer as his thoughts began to digress towards more intimate images of him and Elizabeth together. He shook his head. This is a result of one innocent kiss? He wondered. The implications of this artless action caused William to reflect carefully on the attraction that existed between them.
The attraction between them was uncommon to what William had experienced in the past with other women. William always found himself the object of women's attentions. Whether it was a coy look or an obvious advance, such actions were always directed towards William and it was his choice whether or not to reciprocate. Gallant most times, William was very careful not to give the impression that he was interested in something more. Most times he was not. He was fully aware of the traps women of his acquaintance were prone to leave for men of his status. William had witnessed many times other men who had fallen victim to a flirt. He cursed himself from time to time at the memory of his own dealings with a particular flirt. But with Elizabeth, it was different.
He remembered how close he came to giving into his attraction when he almost kissed Elizabeth, not once, but twice. He could not explain what had caused him to act in such a manner. He recalled the experience before they said goodbye to each other that afternoon. It was as if he was irresistibly drawn to her. At that particular moment, all Elizabeth had done was look at him and all sense of reason had left his mind. At this realization, William began pacing the living room floor.
The idea that Elizabeth could influence him in such a way unnerved him. William had never felt this type of connection with someone to such a heightened degree. It could become consuming. The truth of that idea caused him to stop pacing and he stood in front of a window that had a view of the ocean in the distant horizon. William felt like he had no control over his feelings for Elizabeth and it bothered him. He always knew how to act towards unwelcomed attention. However, William craved Elizabeth's attention and found that he wanted even more when he did receive it. He knew it was becoming more than just an attraction.
After several moments of reflection in front of the window, William had resolved that he had to restrain his feelings for Elizabeth. It was unlike him to act on his feelings and the thought that he almost acted on those feelings this afternoon undermineded his character. He also decided that he needed to get to know Elizabeth better. He realized that in order for that to happen, he had to remain objective. He could not allow himself to get caught up with his feelings and allow his attraction for Elizabeth to overpower his usually strong will. His mind was firmly resolved, but another part of him was reluctant.
The activities in the afternoon and the contemplative mood William had been in left him feeling parched. He turned away from the window and decided to get something to drink.
On his way to the kitchen, he heard a noise in the den. He was the only who was staying at the house. He stopped midway in step to listen more closely.
When he approached the entrance of the den, he hesitated for a moment before looking in. The thought that it might be an intruder had just entered his mind. However, it was too late now to get something to defend himself with because he was too close to the entrance. Instead he proceeded and braced himself for whatever was in the den.
A body sprawled unceremoniously on the couch . The woman wore a gray sweatshirt that had the word ARMY on it in dark blue, faded blue jeans, and white canvas shoes. Her auburn hair was pulled up on top of her head with a few strands escaping. She watched TV and flipped through the channels with no particular purpose, but to channel surf. At the sound of William's entrance into the den, the woman sat up and looked up curiously at William.
"I was wondering where you've been." The woman examined William from head to toe and asked, "Where have you been?" One of her eyebrows arched as she looked at William's disheveled hair.
"Good afternoon, Anne." William smiled. His cousin had a habit of letting herself in his house from time to time. He abruptly turned and walked away. Anne called after him.
"William, where have you been? Stop walking away." Anne got up from the couch, switched off the television, and hastily followed him out of the den.
"Out." William said without stopping to talk to Anne. He continued to walk to the kitchen.
Anne became slightly annoyed by William's curtness. "I can see that you were out. Where? With whom?"
William opened the refrigerator door and looked inside for something. He was not inclined to respond to Anne. He was more interested in what was in the refrigerator.
William's unusual interest in the contents of the refrigerator caused Anne to change her approach. "William, I don't understand why you're being so evasive. I just wanted to know how your day went."
William grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge and walked over to the cupboard for a glass. Then he set both down on the kitchen island. As he opened the bottle of water, he began to whistle.
Anne was annoyed with William's evasiveness. He was usually more forthcoming about things in general. But when William had begun to whistle, Anne became alarmed. William never whistles. Something must be going on. Anne thought. She decided to proceed carefully.
"I heard from Georgianna today. She called while you were out." Anne hoped that William understood the emphasis on the word out.
William slowly poured the water into the glass. The emphasis on the word out was not lost on William. He did intend to tell Anne about his date with Elizabeth, but because Anne and William had a brother-sister type of relationship, William enjoyed antagonizing Anne.
"How is Georgianna?" A small smile was present on William's face as he drank his water.
Anne did not see the smile and became even more annoyed that William ignored her hint. "Georgianna is fine. She's looking forward to visiting next weekend."
William put his glass down. "Next weekend? She's visiting next weekend?"
"Yes, I told you two weeks ago about her visit." Anne looked curiously at William. He was looking down at the counter deep in thought.
William had remained quiet for some time before Anne, with a look of concern said, "William?" News of Georgianna did not usually put him in such a contemplative mood.
Without acknowledging Anne's look of concern, he asked, "What do you both have planned for next weekend?"
Anne hesitated before she answered, "She's coming in Friday. Saturday we're supposed to check out UCLA's campus. On Sunday we're still deciding on what to do. And her flight back is on Monday morning." As she finished, she looked at William suspiciously.
William became quiet again. He had been so caught up with what was happening with Elizabeth that he forgot that Georgianna was visiting next weekend. Even though he had just resolved to be more cautious with his feelings with Elizabeth, he still hoped to see her again. But, he also wanted to see his sister. He had not seen her since he came out with Charles to California two months ago.
William was quiet and meditative for some time. Anne was puzzled by William's behavior. In fact, she felt as if William had forgotten her presence. Then he suddenly spoke.
"What are your plans for Sunday evening?"
"We have no set plans." Anne carefully observed William.
Anne observed a small smile escape from William's lips. William saw that Anne was giving him one of her What are you up to? looks that he knew too well from childhood experiences.
In an even tone, Anne asked, "What did you have in mind for Sunday evening?"
William turned his glass in circles before he said, "Dinner."
"Where?" Anne tried to ask in a nonchalant manner.
"Here." William took a sip of his water.
"Oh." Anne tried to hide her surprise, but did not hide it very well.
"Shall I call Fleur de Lis to prepare something for us?"
"That won't be necessary." William had finished off the small bottle of water and had gone to get another from the fridge.
Anne was thoroughly puzzled by her cousin. First by his elusiveness about his day. Then by his strange reaction to being reminded that Georgianna was visiting next weekend. Now it seemed that he had something planned for next Sunday for dinner, but he was being very secretive about that also.
The only times when William is evasive is when... As she completed the thought, her eyes opened widely and she struck her forehead with the palm of her hand. William was startled out of his thoughts by the loud slap Anne's hand had made when she hit her forehead.
William knitted his brows and asked, "Anne, are you alright?" He was pouring more water into his glass.
Anne was no longer perplexed. This has to do with a woman. It has to! Anne thought.
"How many people do you plan to have for dinner Sunday?" Anne smiled and looked at him innocently, but inwardly she smirked.
"Just four." William stated in a matter-of-fact manner. Then he took a sip from his glass.
"Will Charles Bingley be joining us?" Anne fought off the urge to grin and tried to look serious.
"No. I hadn't thought of inviting him." He was turning his glass in circles on top of the kitchen island.
Anne almost came right to the point, but could not resist the opportunity to tease William. In the meantime, William had picked up his glass for another sip.
In an even tone, Anne asked, "Oh, is it Caroline Bingley then?"
William choked as he was trying to swallow the water he had just drank. Anne laughed to herself, but smiled at the effect her words had on William. She mentally patted herself on the back for her calculated obtuseness.
William set his glass down with a loud thud on the wood counter. His eyebrows narrowed as he said, "Caroline Bingley? What on earth gave you that impression?" William then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
This time, Anne feigned innocence. "Caroline Bingley is the only other person whom I know besides Charles. I don't know anyone else out here." Anne rested her hand on her chin and appeared to be thinking. Inwardly, she was smirking about turning the tables on William. She knew if she appeared to come to the wrong conclusion, William would be eager to correct her mistake.
"Jane Bennet counts as an acquaintance." William looked seriously at Anne.
"Oh, yes, of course." Ah-ha! I knew it had something to do with a Bennet!! Anne excitedly thought to herself.
"And..." William turned his glass in circles again.
"And?" Anne looked at William sincerely, but was thinking, C'mon William, say it!
"Jane's sister." William stated as if this should remind Anne.
"Hmm...Jane's sister..." Anne looked up at the ceiling as if Jane's sister's name was written there. Anne knew of course who he referred to, but it was much too fun to give up now.
William took a breath before he said, "Jane's sister." He looked at Anne pointedly, but Anne shrugged her shoulders.
William shook his head and continued, "Her name is Elizabeth...Elizabeth Bennet."
"Oh. Elizabeth Bennet." Anne said with some recognition. Ha! I knew it!! She thought.
"Yes. You spoke to her over the phone yesterday evening." William smiled and Anne thought that this would be the best time to extract some information from William.
"Oh, yes, of course. I remember now." William's ears had turned red when she admitted to remembering who Elizabeth was. She decided to proceed with care.
"She seemed like a very pleasant woman." Anne said in a sincere manner. She truly meant it. She knew the only way she could get William to talk about Elizabeth was if she was not direct with him. She found this an annoying quality with William. He was up front with everything else except his love life. William always guarded his personal life fiercely, but in an illusive manner. If he was asked a direct question about who he was dating or seeing, he would simply change the subject or say he was not interested in dating anyone at the moment. Anne learned (the hard way) that William was more receptive to talking about personal matters as long as she was not direct or insistent that he talk about it. It was exasperating at times, but Anne was willing to accommodate William's behavior to learn more about what was going on in his personal life.
Anne waited for William's response. If he changed the subject, he did not wish to speak about it. If he did not change the subject, then it would be easy to gently guide him through the matter. Anne eagerly waited for the latter.
William knew once he ventured into this area with Anne, she would not let it go. A part of him was reluctant because Anne could be overbearing at times. Did you call her? Are you going out again? When are you going out again? Where are you going to take her? What are you going to wear? What was the date like? What did she wear? Do you like her? Does she like you? Did you kiss her? Are you getting married? William laughed quietly as memories of Anne's past behavior came to mind whenever he dated someone.
Another part of him wanted to share what was going on with Elizabeth and have someone on his side with such determination. Elizabeth was different than all the women he went out with. He believed he might need all the help he could get if things were going to develop into something more between him and Elizabeth.
William took a sip of his water. Then afterwards, he took a deep breath and made a decision. William hesitated before he spoke.
"Yes. She is a pleasant woman." William looked at Anne, waiting for her reaction.
Outwardly Anne smiled calmly, but inside she was doing back flips and screaming, Yes! Yes! Yes! He didn't change the subject! Anne slowly took a breath before she began.
"I'm glad to hear it." She paused before she said, with great control of her emotions and her voice, "So," she swallowed before she went on again, "I take it you had a nice evening then?"
"Yes, very much." He hesitated, eyeing Anne carefully, before he said, "It went remarkably well for a blind date." He proceeded to walk out of the kitchen and into the living room. Anne followed him. When they got there, they both sat on the large leather sofa.
"Most blind dates don't go over very well." She snuck a glance at William and saw that he was preoccupied. Then she continued, "Well, I'm glad you had a good time. I hope you'll get to see her again." She stole another glance at William.
William came out of his preoccupation and said, "Actually, I did. We had another date this afternoon." William sat back on the couch and touched his cheek absently.
This was too much for Anne. William was being so up front, she hardly knew what to do with herself. She had so many questions to ask, but she knew that if she was too inquisitive, he might clam up. She tried very hard not to seem too anxious.
"Oh, how nice." Anne wanted to blurt out a million questions.
"Yes, it was." William looked at Anne closely. He was expecting an interrogation, but was surprised by the restrain in her behavior. He did not know what to make of it.
"Anne, are you alright?" He turned to face Anne.
"Of course. Why?" Anne was sitting at the edge of her seat and her back was as stiff as a board.
"Well, it's just that..." William's voice trailed off.
"What?"
"Well, usually..."
"Usually, what?"
William hesitated before he said, "Usually you seem more interested in stuff like this."
Anne let out a huge sigh and she leaned back on the couch. Then she said, "William you do not know how much I'm interested in this. Your openness has taken me completely off guard and I'm not sure how to proceed. There are so many questions I want to ask, but I know how much you hate that. But, I don't do it to annoy you. I just want to know how things are going."
"Anne."
"I love you like a brother and if there is anything I can do to help-"
"Anne."
"That's why I didn't ask very many questions at first. I didn't want you to get annoyed with me. But, please don't think I'm not interested. In fact, it's the opposite."
"ANNE!"
Anne suddenly stopped talking and looked timidly at William. She smiled bashfully and said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to go on like that."
William laughed. "It's alright." He leaned back on the couch next to Anne. "You're right. I don't normally talk about stuff like this a lot, but..."
Anne looked at William to continue, but he was quiet. "What?"
William looked intently at Anne and said, "Elizabeth is different."
The seriousness in William's countenance surprised Anne. William had never been this serious whenever he had talked about a woman.
"Different?" Anne looked at William curiously.
William got up and started pacing in front of her. "Anne, we've only gone on two dates and..." He continued pacing and ran one of his hands through his hair. "She seems to be everything-I don't know. Maybe I'm letting my feelings get carried away. But, I think I'm right about her-I've never met a woman who's affected me this way. It's disturbing, but I can't seem to help myself- There's so much I want to know about her." William continued pacing and went on in this fragmented way.
Anne thought that this was serious. Any woman who could make William talk so incoherently must be quite a woman indeed. She had never seen William so affected.
"William will you please stop pacing like that. I'm getting tired of moving my legs out of the way."
William abruptly stopped in his tracks and looked at Anne. Her knees were bent and she was holding her legs against her chest. He chuckled and sat on the ottoman next to the couch. Anne moved over on the couch to be nearer to William. When she settled in her spot, she looked at William to continue.
William was calmer and began, "I think Elizabeth is someone I could . . . " He stopped and started again, "I've never met a woman like her before." William looked at Anne. She remained quiet. William leaned back on the ottoman. He had no trouble thinking about his feelings for Elizabeth, but talking about them was proving to be very difficult for William.
Anne took this as a cue to speak. "It's obvious that you like her very much."
William looked down for a moment. When he looked up, Anne saw the look in his eyes which confirmed her assertion.
"Do you know what her feelings are?" It seemed like the seriousness of William's feelings demanded something more dignified then Does she like you?
William stirred in his seat before he said, "She seems to enjoy my company. She's friendly whenever we talk. She also seems to have a genuine interest in me."
Anne raised her eyebrow, but said nothing. William saw her expression and continued.
"Well, when I told her about what I do, she didn't seem very impressed."
"You told her what you actually do. You didn't give her the 'I work for my father' line and left it at that?"
William sat up, "Well, I did start off that way, but it was like I offended her by not being up front about what I do. I realized that I had to be honest with her, so I told her. She even made a joke about how she wasn't impressed. She said that there were other things that impressed her."
"Really?" Anne sat back amused.
"Yes. We started talking about baseball. It's her favorite sport." He laughed before he continued, "Our date this afternoon was a game of catch. I think it was a test of some sort." He looked at Anne as if she would know the answer.
"I've never heard of anything like that before. Do you think you passed?" Anne giggled and said, "Do you think you impressed her with your quarterback skills?" Anne remembered in high school how all the girls would swoon over William the Quarterback. Never mind that he could throw really well. He broke a lot of hearts when he quit the team.
William hesitated before he responded. "I don't know if I passed the test. I don't think she was impressed with my throwing ability." Anne snorted when he had said this. William glared at her before he said, "But, I think she was pleased with how it went."
"Pleased?"
"Yes. We ended up going to lunch afterwards."
"Where'd you have lunch?"
"At The Lodge. It's a sports bar and grill type of place."
Anne grew more and more intrigued. "Did she choose the place?"
"Yes."
"Did you go to lunch directly after your game of catch?"
"Yes."
"She didn't want to go home and change or fix her hair or anything?"
"No." William sat back in his chair and his thoughts began to digress towards that moment after they played catch.
Anne took it all in. Elizabeth sounded like no other woman William had gone out with in the past. In truth, Anne did not really like any of the women that William had gone out with. They were all either too spoiled or self centered. The last woman, Isabella, that William was involved with still made her shudder. William was usually pretty good at deflecting attention from women that were only interested in him for one reason, but his last experience made him (and Anne) more wary about women. However, Elizabeth seemed unlike most other women of their acquaintance.
Anne chose her words carefully before she said, "Elizabeth sounds like...well, she doesn't sound like any of the women you've gone out with before."
William nodded and looked at her to continue.
Anne hesitated before she said, "But this doesn't seem to discourage you."
William sat back in his chair and said, "No, it's quite the opposite actually." Then he moved to the edge of his seat and ran his hand through his hair.
Anne could not suppress her smile. She knew that this was a serious issue to William, but she was also thrilled by the idea that William may have found someone. She believed that William deserved to be happy and if he had found someone that could make him happy, all the more better.
"What?" William observed Anne's smile.
"Nothing." Anne recovered herself and then said, "I'm just . . . I . . . well, can't I be happy for you?"
William stood up quickly and began pacing the room again. "Happy? What's there to be happy about?"
Anne sighed. She mentally kicked herself for gushing. William could endure a multitude of questions, but he could not tolerate gushing. Anne tried to salvage the situation. "I'm just happy to see that you're no longer affected by what happened with Isabella." She searched William's face for his reaction.
William stopped pacing and looked at his cousin. Anne and his other cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam, were the only ones who knew about what really happened with Isabella. Charles Bingley did not even really know what had happened.
He breathed in. "Thank you for your concern, but I got over that a while ago." He sat back down in the ottoman.
They were quiet for sometime. Anne was not sure how to proceed. She felt that she may have inadvertently brought up some unpleasant memories and was afraid of making the situation worse. Instead of dwelling on the past, Anne decided to redirect the conversation on to the present.
She cleared her throat before she began, "Are you going to see Elizabeth later this evening?" Anne said meekly as she traced the stitching on the arm chair of the couch.
"No."
Anne looked up questioningly at William. "No?"
"She said that she had some work to do that could not be put off."
Anne looked at him doubtfully.
"She's a teacher. She says she has to grade some papers and prepare some lessons for next week. I didn't realize how much work teachers brought home with them. She seems very dedicated to her work."
"Oh." None of the ladies that William had gone out with had the slightest work ethic to finish college let alone pursue a career. However, if catching a husband was considered a career, then the ladies of William's acquaintance were professionals. Anne thought.
"That's quite a career."
William nodded in agreement.
"I don't think you've ever gone out with someone who showed such . . . commitment . . . to something that did not involve acquiring the latest Versaci dress or a rich husband." Anne realized that she had just said the following aloud. She quickly looked at William for his reaction.
William blinked several times and did not say anything for a moment. The whole conversation about Elizabeth was surreal. In the back of his mind, he knew Anne's observation about Elizabeth to be true, but to hear it spoken out loud gave it a sense of realness. His feelings and thoughts about Elizabeth were no longer wishful reveries. They were becoming tangible.
He chuckled. "You're right. Elizabeth demonstrates qualities that other women in my acquaintance lack." Anne heard the emphasis on the word lack. William sees Elizabeth's uniqueness as a good thing. She thought. Anne was pleased.
"It's too bad that you won't get to see her tonight."
William heard the disappointment in Anne's voice. He could not help laughing again. He appreciated his cousin's enthusiasm for him to see Elizabeth again, but he could not also help sharing in some of the disappointment.
"Actually, she asked that I call her this evening."
Anne's eyes lit up at William's admission. "Really?" William looked surprised at Anne's all too eager reaction and so she decided to subdue her excitement. "I mean, that's wonderful." Anne hesitated before she asked, "What time are you suppose to call her?"
"6 o'clock."
Anne checked her watch. It was a little more than an hour away. Anne had an idea, but she knew she had to proceed carefully.
"Isn't that dinner time?" She looked inquisitively at William.
"Yes, I suppose it is."
"Well." Anne sat at the edge of her seat, but spoke in an even tone. "Perhaps while you're talking with Elizabeth, you should find out if she has had dinner yet."
William remained silent.
"As you said, she is involved with a lot of work." William stirred in his seat. She decided to present her idea with care. "I notice that when you are working, sometimes you are so immersed in what you are doing, you forget to take care of yourself. There have been several instances when I've had to insist that you have something to eat or to take a break."
William leaned back in the ottoman and smirked at what Anne was suggesting. He did want to see Elizabeth again, but he was not sure how Elizabeth would feel about seeing him again and so soon after their last date.
"Anne, I don't think I could persuade Elizabeth to stop what she's doing just to see me again." Anne snorted at William's comment, but did not say anything. William ignored her outburst and continued, "Indeed. She doesn't seem like the type of woman to just drop everything just to see a man."
Anne realized that William may be correct in his assumption. Elizabeth did not seem like the other women who were more than happy to abandon whatever they were doing, if it meant having the chance to see William. After a few moments of thinking, Anne came up with an addendum to her idea.
"Who says that she has to drop what she's doing?"
William leaned forward in his chair and he looked at Anne to continue.
"Given her current work state, I'm sure she would not mind if dinner was brought to her.
William's eyes brightened at the idea. "That's a good idea. Really. It's actually a fantastic idea. I suppose she would not mind if I had dinner sent to her."
Anne wanted to hit William for missing the most important part of the idea, but she restrained herself when she realized that William was not usually the one who had to plot ways to win someone over. Anne proceeded with patience.
"Yes, I suppose you could do that." Anne stated airily as she leaned back on the couch and crossed her arms.
The brightness in William's eyes disappeared. "What's wrong with that?"
Anne laughed to herself at her cousin's naivete. This is going to be more difficult than I thought.
"Nothing's wrong with your idea."
"But?" William searched Anne's face for an answer.
"Well, it's just an idea." Anne lifted her hand and checked her fingernails.
William, annoyed with Anne's prolonged allusiveness, stirred in his seat again.
"Although I'm sure she would appreciate that you were thoughtful enough to have dinner sent to her, I think she may enjoy the dinner more if it were brought by you."
William blinked several times and did not say anything. This was the second time that William was rendered speechless by another one of Anne's observations. He got up from his seat and began pacing the room again.
Then he began talking without regard to what he was saying, "How can you be so sure she would enjoy my company again? How would that look? She might think I'm desperate. I don't think I've gotten to that point, yet. I do want to see her, but that seems so contrived."
"William."
"And if she does agree to see me again, how will I know it's not out of pity. I'm sure my feelings are transparent."
"William."
"But, I do want to see her again."
"William."
"But, I don't want her to think that I'm desperate."
"WILLIAM!"
William stopped pacing suddenly at the sound of Anne shouting. When he looked at her, he noticed that she was again holding up her legs.
"Will you please sit down and hear me out."
"Sorry." William sat down next to Anne on the couch.
Anne breathed in before she began, "This doesn't have to be a big deal."
William's shoulders relaxed.
"It's just a gesture, William. If she hasn't had dinner yet, you could offer to bring her some."
William looked at Anne skeptically.
"It's really not that difficult." William thought for a moment.
"So, I just offer to bring her dinner."
Anne nodded.
"Just bring it to her."
Anne nodded again.
"But, wouldn't that be strange. Wouldn't it be strange just to bring her dinner, then leave?"
Anne sighed. "She probably would ask you to join her."
William shook his head. "I don't know, Anne."
Anne turned to face William. "You have to try at least. The worse that could happen is that she'll have already eaten dinner."
Anne gave him an encouraging look. She was right. It's just a gesture. Nothing life altering. He thought.
"You're right, Anne." William conceded. "Thank you." Then William got up from the couch and headed towards the stairs.
"Are you going to call her now?" Anne stood up. She was surprised by William's sudden change in behavior.
William turned to Anne and said, "No. I'm going to freshen up before I do. It'll give me some time to think about what to say."
Anne grinned and said, "Alright. I'll be in the den if you need me."
William let out a small laugh and proceeded to go up stairs.
As William disappeared into the upper floor, Anne groaned deeply and flopped on to the couch. She thought about William's predicament.
"This is going to be much harder than I thought. I've never seen him doubt himself like this." Anne took a few moments to regroup on the couch before she headed back to the den to resume her channel surfing.
Part 2 "It's Just a Gesture"
Elizabeth sat at the dinner table looking over the essays she had abandoned earlier. Several messy stacks of papers covered the table. On the floor next to her was her lesson plan book that still lacked lessons for the upcoming week.
After she showered and told Jane about her date with William, she forced herself to go over the work she had brought home. The reason she told William that she could not go out this evening was because she had a lot of work to do which was true. However, she also believed that if she could make a considerable dent in her work tonight, it would allow her to see him the next day. But, the possibility of that occurring looked dismal.
As Elizabeth shifted through the piles of paper on the table and glanced at the empty lesson plan book next to her on the floor, she realized that it would not be possible to see William at all. Her thoughts dwelled on the upcoming week. She was going to be at a workshop on Wednesday, and although it seemed like a day off from teaching, it actually required her to do more work. It meant that she had to find a reliable substitute which was not always easy, prepare explicit lesson plans which most times would take up an inordinate amount of time to make up, and then deal with the consequences of her absence upon her return. Taking time out of her class was more trouble than it was worth, but it could not be avoided. Then there was also the upcoming progress reports. Although the progress report was not a student's permanent grade, it had to accurately reflect a student's progress in a class for that particular period of the year which meant that all assignments for that cycle had to be graded and entered before the progress reports came out and these grades were due in a week.
Elizabeth groaned loudly and laid her head dejectedly on the table. Jane had already left a few hours ago for her date with Charles. A part of Elizabeth felt jealous that Jane was able to go out with no worries about having work at home, but that had never bothered her before. She had spent countless Saturday nights at home grading and planning, but now it seemed unfair. She looked at the three stacks of essays that were already graded and felt her spirits somewhat lifted. But just as quickly as hope came, it quickly left when her eyes wandered towards the insurmountable stack in front of her and at the other stack that was not graded yet.
Suddenly, Elizabeth slammed her red pen onto the table and crossed her arms. She was three-fifths of the way through grading, but she still had to plan for next week and the substitute. She absently pulled at her hair before she decided that she would take a break from grading and start planning her lessons. Elizabeth settled down and picked up her lesson plan book from off the floor and began to write down her lessons for the week. A part of her wished that she could just forget everything related to work.
William had got out of the shower sometime ago and was already dressed. He wore khaki pants and a dark green polo shirt as he paced in front of his bed.
To say that William was nervous was to say the least. Although he conceded to Anne that bringing Elizabeth dinner would just be a gesture, he still had feelings of insecurity and doubt about the whole situation. He wanted to see Elizabeth again, but his resolve from earlier in the evening plagued his mind. As he ran his hand through his hair, he realized that his behavior was completely the opposite of what he had resolved. It bothered him that his feelings were getting the best of him. He shook his head and rubbed his face to clear his mind and slowly walked over to the side of the bed to put on his shoes. As he put on his socks, he got distracted by a framed picture of his parents on his nightstand. He picked it up and absently traced the face of his mother, and then his father. The picture had been taken a year before his mother died. The easy and content expression on their faces caused a pang of sorrow in William's heart. His parents looked as if the future held endless possibilities for them. He sighed deeply, but before his mood could change any further, he was interrupted by a quick knock on his door.
"Come in." William proceeded to put on one of his shoes.
Anne never went into William's bedroom unless it was absolutely necessary. Anne entered the room cautiously.
"What's the matter? You act like you've never been in here before." William proceeded to put on his other shoe.
"Well, I just. . . sometimes it's. . . we're not kids anymore, William."
William laughed quietly before he said, "It's not like you were going to walk in on anything."
Anne nodded and in a sarcastic tone replied, "Yeah, that's true."
In response, William's eyes narrowed as he glared at Anne.
Anne suppressed her urge to laugh. "Which reminds me," Anne smirked, "Aren't you going to call Elizabeth?" This time Anne giggled.
William's annoyance for his cousin quickly subsided. "What time is it?"
"It's a couple of minutes to six."
"Oh." William blinked several times at the fact that time had elapsed so quickly. Indeed, it felt like he had just finished talking to Anne about Elizabeth. He thought that when the time arrived to call Elizabeth, he would know what to say. Now that he was faced with the task, he felt completely unprepared.
Anne cleared her throat which brought William out of his thoughts.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"I thought you were going to call Elizabeth."
"I am."
Anne looked at her watch. "Um. . . it's 6 o'clock."
"Yes, you keep reminding me." William ran his hand through his hair. Anne became concerned.
"Would you like me to leave?"
"Yes. . . NO." William began to pace again. Anne took a deep breath before she spoke.
"William," William stopped pacing at the sound of his name and turned to face Anne. "We're going downstairs. I'll be in the kitchen. You can call her from there, or from the den, or from your office, or from the living room. You can even call her from the patio if you want." Anne proceeded to walk out of his room. William hesitated before he followed her.
When they got downstairs, Anne picked up the cordless phone from the stand next to the bottom of the stairs and handed it to William. William did not immediately take it, but the urgent look on Anne's face made him take the phone quickly for fear of retaliation from Anne.
"I'm going to find something to eat. Some of us don't have a gentleman waiting to perform gallant acts for them." With that said, she abruptly turned and walked towards the kitchen.
William almost called out to Anne, but realized that he did not know what to ask her. She had gotten him this far, the rest was up to him. He descended the final step and made his way towards the living room.
Next to the spacious, but elegant living room was the main dining area. Off the dining area were two expansive French doors that opened out to the wooden patio deck. The patio deck was relatively wide and another entrance could be found through the kitchen. An arbor with bouganvilla creeping up and weaving through the arbor provided shade for the patio. William stood in front of the French doors and looked out at the darkening sky that appeared intermittently through the flower covered arbor. He took a deep breath before he proceeded to dial Elizabeth's phone number.
There was a ring.
William took another long breath.
Another ring.
William absently rubbed his chin.
Another.
William hurriedly ran his hand through his hair.
Again.
He paced nervously.
Yet, again another ring.
William began to wonder if he had dialed the number correctly.
Then a voice came on the phone, "You have reached-" It was Jane's voice. "We are unable to answer the phone right-"
"Hello?"
"now. But, if-"
"Hello?"
"you leave your name-"
"Who is this?"
"Um. . . it's William."
"and number, we will get back to you-"
"Don't hang up. Hold on."
"as soon as possible. Please wait for the-"
William heard the phone being set down and the sound of hurried footsteps. He heard a beep, but then the answering machine was switched off.
"Hello?"
"Yes, I'm still here. Elizabeth?"
"Yes. I'm sorry."
"It's alright."
"I couldn't find the phone at first. It's cordless."
"Oh."
"Then when I found it under some essays, the answering machine came on."
"I see."
"I hate it when that happens. I wasn't trying to avoid your call."
"I understand."
"It's just that I was caught up in all this work. . ."
"You don't have to explain yourself. I understand." William waited for a response, but there was none. "Sometimes I get caught up in my work as well. It's easy to loose track of time that way." William heard a soft sigh come from the phone.
On the other end of the phone line, Elizabeth nervously stood in front of her chair. Her nervous energy prevented her from sitting since the beginning of the conversation. She smacked her forehead softly when she realized that she had been rambling on.
"I'm glad you understand."
William had taken one of the chairs from the oak dinner table and turned it so that it faced the view the French doors provided. He cautiously sat down on the chair.
"How's your work going by the way?"
Elizabeth paced anxiously. "Oh, it's going rather well . . . actually it'll require more attention than I thought it would."
"Oh, I see." William, disappointed in her admission, leaned back in his chair.
At that moment, Anne had walked in the room, reminding William that the situation could still work in his favor. When Anne saw that William was still talking on the phone, she proceeded to retreat from the room. However, William saw that she was leaving and gestured to her to stay by pointing at the couch in the living room. It was a good distance away so that their conversation could not be entirely overhead, but Anne would be close enough in case he needed help.
Elizabeth, uncomfortable at the silence from the other end of the phone, decided to make conversation. "How's your cousin Anne?"
William, taken aback by the mention of Anne's name, for a moment, thought that Elizabeth suspected something.
"Oh. She's well. It's nice to have some family around." William's eyes locked on Anne. Anne looked at him questioningly.
"She seems to care about you a great deal."
"Yes. She's like another sister to me." Anne, realizing what the topic of conversation was, picked up a magazine from the coffee table to use as a shield.
"Another sister? Do you have any sisters of your own?"
"Yes. I have a younger sister, Georgianna."
"Oh. I have four."
"Four?" William's voice betrayed his surprise.
Elizabeth laughed. "Yes. You know Jane already. The other three are younger and live with my mother."
"I see." William shook his head as he realized that most of his responses were either "Oh" or "I see".
There was another awkward lull in the conversation.
When Anne looked up from her magazine, William's eyes were still trained on her. The look in his eyes reminded Anne of a signal William would give to her whenever he was talking with someone, whether it was at a social or business function, when he needed to be rescued from them. Anne thought it was strange because she believed that William would not want to be rescued from Elizabeth. Anne immediately stood up and tentatively walked over to William.
William carefully covered the receiving end of the phone with one hand as Anne approached. He whispered, "I sound like a fool. I keep saying the same things."
Anne whispered back, "Well, have you asked her yet?"
William's brow furrowed as he looked at Anne curiously.
Anne shook her head in disbelief. "Dinner." She harshly whispered.
William's eyes widen at the suggestion. Anne rolled her eyes.
"Is something the matter?"
William quickly removed his hand from the receiver, "Ah, no. Sorry, I was speaking to Anne about something concerning," William cleared his throat, "a possible future investment." Anne smirked.
"Your cousin is there, right now? Please tell her I said, hello." Elizabeth heard William talking to his cousin in the background.
"Anne, says hello too."
"Do you have plans with each other for the evening?"
"Anne and I?" Surprised by the question, William's voice was louder than usual. Anne's curiosity piqued at the mention of her name.
Elizabeth laughed. "Yes."
"For this evening?" Anne understood where the conversation was going. She tapped William's shoulder with authority to get his attention. When William looked at her, she began waving her hands and shaking her head in the no gesture.
William slowly read the signal. "No?" Anne lightly hit William's arm because of the uncertainty of his voice. "I mean, no."
"Ah." Elizabeth felt that something else was going on while she talked to William because he seemed preoccupied, but she did not have the slightest clue what it could be.
Anne, suddenly struck with an idea, loudly and distinctly said, "William, since we're nearly finish discussing the possible future investment, I have dinner plans for this evening and would like to leave at the earliest convenience." There could be no doubt that both parties heard Anne's declaration.
William's brow furrowed curiously. "Who-" Anne hit him on the arm again before he could finish his question. She looked pointedly at the phone.
"I told you earlier about my plans, remember?" Anne looked pointedly at the phone again.
William's eyes followed the direction of Anne's gaze at the phone in his hand. "Oh, right. Your plans." Anne nodded emphatically and looked at him encouragingly. Slowly, William said, "Well, I hope you have a pleasant dinner."
Anne did a shooing gesture with her hands to encourage William to ask Elizabeth about dinner.
"It seems your cousin has already made plans for the evening." Elizabeth had heard the whole conversation between Anne and William.
"Yes, so it seems." By this time, Anne stood in front of William with her arms tightly crossed in front of her as her foot tapped impatiently. Just ask her! She thought to herself.
William sensed Anne's restlessness. He took a breath before he asked, "Have you had dinner yet?" Anne sighed quietly and her arms dropped to her side. She reached out and grabbed on to one of the backs of the chairs that surrounded the rectangular oak dining table to support her.
"No, I haven't." Elizabeth excited and at the same time afraid of where the conversation was leading, wanted to see William again, but she also could not neglect her work responsibilities.
"I haven't either." Anne looked encouragingly at William again. He swallowed before he continued, "I know you're very busy and I wouldn't want your work to be neglected."
Elizabeth sighed in disappointment which William did not hear. Elizabeth knew she would have to turn down William if he asked her to go out again, but a part of her had hoped and wanted him to ask her out anyway.
"But, since neither one of us has had dinner. . ."
"Yes?" Elizabeth sat at the edge of her seat, her anticipation fluttered in her chest.
"Perhaps I could pick something up. . ."
"For the both of us?" The astonishment in her voice was obvious.
"Yes." William steadied himself on the chair with one hand on the seat.
"You would be bringing dinner here?"
"Yes." William anxiously leaned forward in his chair. He steadily held the phone in one hand up to his ear as the other hand nervously rubbed his forehead. William and Anne anxiously awaited for Elizabeth's response.
Elizabeth, momentarily at a loss for words, was touched that William had offered to bring dinner to her. She had not considered such a compromise. She would get to see William, but she would also be able to continue working. She eagerly accepted his offer.
"I would lo-" Elizabeth stopped abruptly and reconsidered her reply. "That's a very thoughtful idea. It would be nice if you would bring dinner over here." She hesitated before she added, "I also look forward to having dinner with you."
William, shot up from his chair with new found energy and quickly turned to Anne. At first his eyes were wide with disbelief and his jaw had dropped. Anne stepped forward with concern. William quickly recovered from the shock with an unabashed grin. William's grin was infectious and Anne could not help grinning herself. She touched her cousin's hand gently before she walked away into the kitchen.
William returned his attention to the phone. "Is there anything in particular that you would like for dinner?"
"No, not really." When Elizabeth agreed to dinner, she realized that she could not have several piles of paper occupying the entire table. She haphazardly arranged them in one large, disorderly pile.
William's previous anxiety had returned. Now the task was to figure out what to get for dinner. William bit his lip as he suppressed his anxiety and decided to try a different approach.
"Is there anything you would not want for dinner?"
When Elizabeth heard William's question, she suddenly stopped trying to clear the table. She thought for a moment before she responded.
"Hmm. . .well, I'm not really in the mood for hamburgers. We had pizza for lunch. Oh, and you are aware of my aversion to frogs and snails. . ." Elizabeth's playful tone soon affected William.
William laughed. "Yes, of course."
"I have a weakness for good Mexican food, but I can't indulge myself for a while because I've had it for lunch three days in a row." Elizabeth charmed William with her good humor and candor.
"Ah! Jane had mentioned that last night she and Charles had dinner at The Mandarin Palace. How do you feel about Chinese food?"
"It can be good, depending on where it's from."
"That's true. The Mandarin Palace is actually not bad. There are better places, but The Mandarin Palace will do."
"Well, why don't I pick up food from a better place?"
"It's not really that bad. It's near by and I don't want you to have to go out of your way to bring dinner."
"It's no trouble at all."
"And it's getting late. The longer it takes you to get dinner, the longer it will take you to . . . get here." Elizabeth blushed at her admission. When she thought about William bringing over dinner, she was concerned that it caused too much trouble for him. She did not want to impose on his time anymore than she thought necessary. When she expressed her thoughts out loud, they took on a much different meaning. Elizabeth attempted to clarify what she had said.
"What I meant was, I'm looking forward to seeing you-wait-I . . .I do want to see you-oh gosh-" Elizabeth let out a deep frustrated sigh and shook her head. The nape of her neck and tops of her ears were burning.
William laughed quietly.
"OK -William? I do appreciate what you're doing, but I don't want it to become something that imposes on your time and attention more than is absolutely necessary." Elizabeth sighed again. She had chosen her words carefully, but she knew that the damage had been done.
"It's not an imposition of my time."
Elizabeth remained quiet, unable to speak from embarrassment. William realized that he would have to be more candid to ease Elizabeth's concerns.
"And, as far as imposing on my attention, I can assure you, I'm quite preoccupied already."
"Oh." Elizabeth's cheeks blushed at William's gallant remark. She also felt pressure rising in her chest as her heart beat faster. She grinned widely and let out a small sigh as she rested her chin on her hand.
"I suppose I should get going with dinner. I wouldn't want to keep you waiting any longer." William's voice had a playful ring to it.
Elizabeth laughed. "No, you shouldn't. And I can be be impossible if I'm hungry and not fed right away."
"Then I'll try to be quick."
"Good."
They both laughed before they said their goodbyes and hung up.
William held the phone for a moment. He turned to the French doors and thoughtfully looked at the horizon in the distance. It was dark, but he could see the moon glowing brightly. A few hours ago, he had decided to act objectively and not let his emotions overtake him when it came to Elizabeth. He realized that he would have to be on his guard tonight. Things seemed to be going well, and he did not want to ruin them by acting on any urges or desires. Tonight, he decided, he was going to get to know Elizabeth better.
He turned away from the view, and proceeded to the kitchen. He was met halfway by Anne.
"Well? How did it go?" Anne searched William's face for answers.
Slowly, William smiled. "It was . . . nice."
Anne laughed. She knew that although for others, this may seem like an understatement, it was a lot for William. "You see," Anne playfully tagged William on the arm, "It wasn't too bad, was it?"
William looked down and became occupied with his shoe. "No, it wasn't."
"Alright. What are you bringing for dinner?"
William quickly looked up. "Chinese. Elizabeth recommended this place, The Mandarin Palace."
"The Mandarin Palace? Isn't there some place better?"
William cleared his throat before he said, "Yes, but Elizabeth insisted on this place because it's on the way and it wouldn't take as long bringing dinner if I went somewhere else."
Anne smiled knowingly at William.
"And she said the food wasn't too bad."
Anne grinned.
William shook his head and walked away towards the living room. Anne followed him.
"Would you like me to call and place the order?"
"Anne, you're not working right now."
"I know, but don't you want to change?"
William frowned as he looked down at his clothes. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
Anne eyed his dark green polo shirt before she said, "Well, the khaki pants are fine." She hesitated before she said, "It's the shirt."
William looked at Anne indignantly. "What's wrong with this shirt?"
"Well, it's OK . . ." Anne looked at the shirt again before she said, "It's OK, if you're a math teacher and Elizabeth probably sees them all the time."
William thoughtfully rubbed his chin. "Oh. What should I wear?"
"Hmmm. . ." Anne took in William's appearance as she walked around him in a circle. "Ah! You should wear something that you would wear to one of our family afternoon tea gatherings."
William looked at Anne in disbelief. "You don't think that would be. . .too much?"
Anne shook her head confidently. "No, not at all."
William ran his hand through his hair. "You don't think a white collared shirt with these pants would look too pretentious?"
Anne shook her head again. "No. Just don't button the shirt up all the way."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Have I disappointed you this evening so far?"
William and Anne stared at each other for a moment.
Finally, William conceded. "No, I suppose not."
Anne took the phone from William and began dialing for information. "Well, hurry up then. It won't take me that long to place the order."
William sighed and began to walk towards his room, but Anne called out to him. "Is there anything in particular that you would like for dinner?"
"Ah. . .perhaps some Orange Chicken?"
"Alright."
William stood for a moment in front of Anne while she got the number of the restaurant. When she got the number and hung up, Anne looked at William inquiringly. "What?"
William looked down. "Anne, I . . . you . . . Thank you." He looked up at Anne after he said this.
Anne was touched by William's gesture, but she did not let her feelings over come her.
"Yes, well," Anne cleared her throat. "You better hurry up and change."
"If there's anything I can do-"
"Don't worry about that. I'm sure I'll think of something." Anne smiled archly before she began dialing the number of the restaurant.
William took this as a cue to leave. He looked meaningfully at Anne before he turned and walked away to his room.
Anne laughed to herself and looked down at her sweatshirt. She sighed longingly and thought, "I hope you'll be able to help me out on this, William." A pang of yearning hit her as she looked at the words ARMY written across her sweater. Then a voice came on the phone and Anne was brought out of her reverie and began asking about specials for the evening.