Beginning, Previous Section, Section VI, Next Section
It was past eight o'clock. Surprised at how long she had been working, she realized that she was still home alone. Strange. Jane isn't home yet. Elizabeth thought. A nervous twinge crept into Elizabeth's stomach as images of Caroline in her orange suit towering over her helpless sister went through her head. She shook off the image and laughed at her own silliness. Perhaps they see what a truly sweet person Jane is and they enjoy her company. Elizabeth wanted to believe the idea very much, but in the back of her mind she knew it was not true.
Suddenly, the stack of essays from her fourth period class started to ring. Elizabeth looked at the papers shake from the vibration of the ringing and for a moment thought that she was going mad from all the work she had been doing. The persistent ringing brought her out of her daze as she realized that it was the phone that was ringing. She sat up in her chair quickly while wading through the papers. The ringing got louder as she cleared more papers. She finally found the phone, but not before the answering machine went off.
"Hold on!" Elizabeth did not wait for a response from the other end and hurriedly shut off the answering machine.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Elizabeth?"
It was William. "Yes. Sorry about that."
"Did you lose the phone again under some papers?"
Elizabeth blushed. "I did." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "But, it only happens when you call."
"You mean you weren't waiting by the phone for me to call?" Elizabeth, surprised by William's playfulness, immediately responded in the same manner.
"Actually, I forgot that you were going to call." Her voice stated in a matter of fact tone.
William let out a small laugh. "Hmmm. . . I need to try harder then."
"Try harder?"
"Try harder to make a more lasting impression on you so that I'm not so easily forgotten." Did I just say that out loud?!
"Oh." But, Elizabeth was too tempted to just leave it at that. "What did you have in mind?" What am I doing?!
"Well," his voice became low, "I understand that you don't work on Wednesday."
"True, but I have to be somewhere." Elizabeth's interest piqued.
"How about afterwards? Are you free in the afternoon?"
"Hmmm...it depends."
"On what?"
"I had planned to go back to work after the workshop, but. . ."
"But?"
"I could be persuaded not to go back if. . ." Elizabeth smiled mischievously.
"If what?"
"If I were asked very nicely not to go back." Elizabeth cringed. Oh gees! I sound like some kind of flirt!
William laughed again. Then he spoke, "Elizabeth, don't go back to work on Wednesday." She felt her ear being tickled from the way her name was said by such a bewitching voice. Even though it was a command, he asked softly with a bit of an alluring authority that had to be obeyed. William's low, inviting voice sent a thrill through Elizabeth's body. "Would you consider seeing me afterwards instead?" By this time Elizabeth had walked in her bedroom and had sank onto her bed for support. "Was that nice enough?"
Elizabeth had to catch her breath at William's disarming charm and the way he used his voice to exercise it. Elizabeth cleared her throat, "Yes, very nice."
William grinned. "So, will you?"
"Yes!!" Elizabeth slapped her forehead for sounding too eager. "I mean, yes, I can see you on Wednesday afternoon."
"Good."
For a moment, a pleasant lull entered the conversation.
"So, what did you do all day?" William forgot that he had not asked.
"I did some work, but I spent most of the day with Jane before she went out to... dinner."
The pause was noticeable. "I'm sure Jane is fine."
"I know." Elizabeth did not sound confident.
"She is fine. And Charles wouldn't let anything happen."
"That's true."
It was quiet for a moment, but then suddenly William heard the phone violently hitting the floor from the other side of the phone line.
"What happened? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I was just. . . I accidentally dropped the phone on the floor."
"You're not still worried about Jane, are you?"
Elizabeth laughed. "No."
"What happened?"
Elizabeth hesitated before she said, "I can't tell you."
William leaned forward in his seat. "Now you have to tell me."
"I don't have to tell you anything." Elizabeth could not help smiling. "Besides, if I told you, you'd think I was flirting with you."
William held the phone closer to his mouth. "I wouldn't think any less of you if you did." William ran his hand through his wavy hair. What am I doing?!
Elizabeth lost her ability to speak for two minutes. Then she blurted out, "I was taking off my shirt." Smooth Elizabeth. Very smooth. Elizabeth shook her head.
It was William's turn to be speechless. Then in a playful tone, "It's too bad you're only a flirt over the phone."
Elizabeth could not help but laugh and soon had William laughing as well.
"Have you already forgotten?" Elizabeth asked playfully.
"Forgotten what?"
"I'm not that easy."
"Ah. That's right." I wouldn't have it any other way.
"Could you hold on for a moment?"
"Sure."
William heard Elizabeth put the phone down. The only sound William could make out was foot steps padding around. After a few minutes, Elizabeth's voice came back on.
"Sorry."
"It's alright." After a few moments, William asked, "Were you flirting with me again?"
Elizabeth heartily laughed. She immensely enjoyed this coy side of William. "I was just getting ready for bed." Elizabeth stated in a matter of fact tone, but then realized that it sounded just as flirty as her shirt comment. "I also went to check if Jane was home."
Tentatively, William asked, "Is she back?"
Elizabeth let out her breath. "No."
"She's fine."
"I know."
"Since Charles is most likely home by now that's probably why Jane hasn't come back yet."
Elizabeth was quiet for a moment. "That's probably true."
"She'll be fine."
"I know."
After a few minutes, William spoke up. "So. . . what do you wear to bed?"
Elizabeth, surprised by William's sudden playfulness, quickly recovered her wits. "I don't think we've been seeing each other long enough for you to know such intimate details about what I wear to bed." Elizabeth looked down at her sleeveless, white cotton night gown and absently traced one of the sewn blue flowers that were scattered across the top of her nightgown.
"Then you shouldn't have been flirting."
"You seem to be the only one who believes I was flirting."
"Well, when you say things like, 'Taking off my shirt.' and 'Getting ready for bed.', it's very hard not to get distracted."
"When I said those things, I didn't mean for them to be taken in such a way." Elizabeth's voice had a playful ring to it. "I'll try not to make such distracting comments." For now. Elizabeth ended with a chuckle.
What if I don't want you to stop? William shook the thought away from his mind. "Good. You wouldn't want to be known as a tease."
William warmed at the sound of Elizabeth's lively laughter.
Suddenly, Elizabeth said,"You didn't mention what we're going to be doing on Wednesday."
"You're right. I didn't."
Elizabeth waited for William to explain.
"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise."
Elizabeth's eyebrows jumped up. "A surprise?"
"Yes."
"Well--What--A surprise?!"
"Haven't you ever had a surprise before?"
"Well, yes. But, I knew about them."
"Then they weren't surprises."
"I always acted surprised though."
William laughed. "This will be interesting."
"You're not going to tell me what it is?!"
"No." William's voice was definite.
Before Elizabeth could pursue the matter, she heard the front door shut. "Hold on."
William could hear Elizabeth talking to someone who he assumed to be Jane.
"William?"
"I'm here. Is Jane home now?"
"Yes. She just walked through the door."
"I'm sure you two will want to talk about how dinner went."
Elizabeth giggled. "I am a little curious."
William chuckled. "May I call you tomorrow?"
Elizabeth smiled at the request. It delighted her that he still felt the need to ask permission before he could call. "Yes."
"Good."
William and Elizabeth said their good byes. When Elizabeth hung-up, she set the phone down in a daze and stared absently through the doorway. William had been more lively than usual and it pleased her. She wanted to see more of this side of him. Elizabeth was quickly brought out of her daze when she heard Jane rustling about in her bedroom. Elizabeth jumped up from her bed and proceeded over to Jane's room.
At the doorway, Elizabeth inquired, "Well?"
Jane had just put on her pale blue cotton night gown. At the sound of Elizabeth's voice she looked up. "Is that the new night gown you bought today?"
Elizabeth blinked several times. "Yes."
The white cotton night gown had delicate straps and was decorated with pale blue flowers sewn in across the top. The skirt fell halfway past Elizabeth's calves, but the top part hugged her full figure. "It's very pretty, Elizabeth."
But, Elizabeth was in no mood to hear about her new night gown. "Thank you, but this is not what I came here for." She looked pointedly at Jane.
A look of recognition registered on Jane's face and a grin soon spread across her lips. "It was fantastic."
Elizabeth smiled in response and walked into Jane's room. Then both of them proceeded to take a seat on Jane's bed. "Is that all you're going to say? Fantastic? What happened? What did you talk about?"
Jane laughed at her sister's enthusiasm. "Well, we had dinner. Caroline had ordered it from some French restaurant---Fleur de Lis--I think." Elizabeth inwardly smirked. "The food was very good. We talked about . . ." Jane thought for a moment. "Hmmm . . . we talked mostly about me." Jane was surprised by the realization. "Oh, I hope they don't think any less of me. I really didn't mean too. It just happened that way." Sure, it did. Elizabeth thought.
"What kinds of things did you end up telling them?"
"Caroline asked about our family. I told her about our sisters, mother, and father." Elizabeth squirmed at the last part, but Jane did not notice. "Then I told them about how I went to school and worked at the same time." I'm sure they liked finding that out. Elizabeth was sure that Caroline would enjoy pointing that out to Charles when Jane was not around. "I also told them I earned my degree in Public Relations with a minor in Business Administration and that I had worked in a few places before I started working for Charles."
"That sounds nice."
"She also asked about you. Do you know Caroline?"
"No, I don't know her." Elizabeth said cautiously.
"She says that she's met you." Jane looked at her sister questioningly.
"Oh! I think we have met. Briefly though. I believe I was on a date with William." Elizabeth tried to state lightly.
Jane's curious expression disappeared. "She didn't mention how you met, but I can see now how she would remember you so well."
Elizabeth's eyebrow shot up. "Why do you say that?"
Jane let out a small laugh. "I think Caroline might have some kind of interest in William."
Elizabeth laughed, but wondered how Jane came to that conclusion. Elizabeth was sure that Caroline would never admit to it especially to Jane. "How can you tell?"
"Well," Jane moved closer to Elizabeth, "She asked me how you and William met and how long have you've known each other." Elizabeth suppressed her urge to laugh. "Then she talked about how long she knew William and how well they got along." Elizabeth looked at her sister with disbelief. Jane continued, "Whenever William sees Charles, he hardly asks about her. And the way he acts towards her doesn't look like he's particularly fond of her in anyway."
Elizabeth could no longer contain her amusement and let her laughter flow freely. She could not believe the lengths that Caroline would go to to find out what kind of competition she faced. Elizabeth came to another realization.
"You've seen Caroline when William's around? Oh, you have to tell me what that's like." Elizabeth's eyes were bright with amusement.
"Well, I don't like making assumptions," Elizabeth looked at her sister with an eyebrow raised, "it just seems that she likes getting his attention whenever she can."
Elizabeth looked at her sister to explain.
"We were having a pleasant conversation together after dinner, but as soon as Charles came home with Mr. Hurst and William, all her attention fell on William."
Elizabeth's mouth fell open.
"What? Are you shocked by Caroline's behavior?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "N-No. Y--You saw William tonight?"
"Yes. We spoke briefly." Jane looked at her sister with concern.
Elizabeth did not speak for a minute. Then suddenly, Elizabeth asked, "What did you talk about with William?"
"He asked me how dinner went and if I was having a pleasant time. After I spoke with him, Caroline began to dominate the rest of the conversation, but then he left shortly afterwards." Jane examined her sister's face. A look of confusion and disbelief dominated Elizabeth's features. "What's the matter, Elizabeth?"
"Well, it's just that...we...he...he didn't mention that he saw you when we talked on the phone this evening."
"Really? But, why wouldn't William mention it?" Jane asked the same question that Elizabeth had in her mind already.
"I don't know. He knew that I-" Elizabeth stopped herself as she realized what she was going to say about Caroline and how she was afraid that Jane might be attacked in the same way she had been that night she went out with William.
"What?" Jane encouraged her sister to continue.
"I--I was nervous for you. Although I don't know Caroline that well, she seemed. . . hard to please." To say the least. Elizabeth did not like lying to her sister, but she couldn't tell her what happened in the ladies room that night.
"William didn't say that he spoke to me?"
"No." Elizabeth thought for a moment. "But, he did keep saying that you were fine. But, why wouldn't he say that he saw you?"
Jane thought for a moment and then a knowing smile crept on her face.
Elizabeth looked at her sister. "What?"
"Maybe his feelings are deeper than you think."
"Jane." Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her sister.
"Well, think about it. He could've told you he saw me, talked to me, and it looked like I was fine. But, he didn't."
"Jane, I think we've already established that."
Jane glared at Elizabeth which caused her to remain silent. Jane continued, "How would you've reacted if he did tell you that he saw me?"
After a few minutes thinking, Elizabeth slowly started, "Well, I would be grateful that he had seen you and made sure that you were fine." Elizabeth stood up and began pacing in Jane's room. "But, then I'd wonder if he did it to impress me. Maybe he did it to get on my good side, or if he did it because he. . ." Elizabeth stopped pacing and turned to her sister. "No, that couldn't be."
Jane shrugged.
"But if, and this is a big if, if he did it because he cares about me, then wouldn't that be a reason to tell me?"
Jane asked Elizabeth to sit down. Then Jane proceeded to say, "I know I've only known William for a few months, but he's not like any guy we know." Jane looked thoughtfully down at her hands before she said, "William's not the type of guy who wants people to like him for what he does."
Elizabeth's brow became wrinkled.
"You know about his wealth and how his family owns that successful publishing company."
Elizabeth nodded in the affirmative.
"He doesn't have a lot of people in his life who he thinks like him for who his is. That goes for both his public and private life."
The wrinkle on Elizabeth's brow slowly relaxed, but it was still visible.
"When I first met William, I thought he had better things to do like going to high society parties in LA or hanging out with the big players of the industry rather than going out with me and Charles." A smile tugged at the corner of Jane's mouth. "But, he chose not to do those things. From what I can tell, Charles has never asked William if they could go to any fancy parties or if he could introduce him to important people. Charles is just happy going to a movie or dinner with William. And I think William values that. I think it makes him feel like a real person rather than some multi-millionaire who people would do anything to meet and who would also want to experience the benefits of knowing a man like him as well."
"Jane, I understand what you mean. I was intimidated at first when I found out what William does for a living and who his family is. But, these past few days, as I was getting to know him, I forgot all of those things. I know it's not possible to completely forget, but William has a way of making you forget all that and you get to see who he truly is." Elizabeth looked at Jane intently. "I understand him wanting to be liked for who he is, but I'm still not sure how I should interpret his actions tonight."
Jane breathed in steadily. "Remember that line, 'If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.**' ?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Love?!"
Jane smiled warmly. "I'm not saying that it's love, but I think it's safe to say that he does care deeply about you."
"I don't know, Jane."
"He's not the type to talk about these kind of things. And it fits with his wanting to be liked for himself, not for what he does."
"Jane." Elizabeth looked doubtingly at her.
Jane looked levelly at Elizabeth. "He would want you to like him for him, not because he made sure I was alright."
Jane's seriousness surprised Elizabeth. Elizabeth was not sure how to respond. Everything that Jane had said made sense, but she could not believe it. Could he care about me that much after knowing each other for only a few days? The question beat in Elizabeth's head unmercifully. The possibility that Jane could be correct overwhelmed her. She could not deny that she liked William. Did she care about him? Did she care about him as much as he might care about her? It was too much to weigh and consider especially when at the start of the weekend Elizabeth did not have any cares or concerns about dating at all.
"Elizabeth." Elizabeth felt her hand being squeezed.
"What?"
"Are you alright?"
Elizabeth looked up at Jane. Jane's eyes were deep with concern. "I--I don't know."
Jane bit her lip. "I'm sorry if I upset you."
"No. I'm not upset." Elizabeth squeezed Jane's hand reassuringly. "I just. . . I don't know. . . This a lot to take in." Elizabeth finished with great effort.
"It is, isn't it?" Jane smiled affectionately at Elizabeth which caused her to chuckle. "You don't have to decide anything right now and you both have plenty of time to get to know each other."
"That's true."
They were quietly sitting next to each other for sometime.
"Of course," Jane interrupted their solitary thinking, "I could be reading too much into this. You know how I am with my romantic notions."
"Jane!!" Elizabeth's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
Jane shrugged.
In one swift movement, Elizabeth snatched a pillow and knocked Jane over onto the bed. Jane desperately reached for a pillow as Elizabeth continued pummeling her without mercy while mumbling, "How could you?" When Jane finally got hold of a pillow, she attempted to retaliate, but to no success. Elizabeth dominated the pillow fight with severe poundings.
"I'm sorry!"
"Do you know what you've put me through!"
"I'm *ugh* sorry!!"
"You *pound* almost had me *pound* freaking out! I hate *pound* *pound* freaking out!!!"
"I'm so--*oof*"
"These are my *pound* emotions we're talking about *pound*!"
"Eliza-*ugh*"
"And you *pound* say you could be *pound* wrong?!"
"There's *ugh* always the possi*ow* that I'm *oof* wrong!"
Suddenly, the beatings stopped. Jane had tucked her knees into her chest and covered her head with her arms. In her current position, she could not see Elizabeth, but she could hear Elizabeth sucking in air at an unsteady pace. Then she felt that the pillow had been thrown to the side and Elizabeth had sat next to her.
In a small voice, through her arms, Jane meekly said, "I'm sorry."
Elizabeth let out a deep sigh. "It's OK." She patted Jane on the shoulder. "This is just all new to me."
Jane peeked from behind her arms. "I know."
"I like him, but-" Elizabeth looked directly at Jane, "I'm just not sure about all this." Her hands made a gesture in the air.
Jane, feeling that there would be no more pillow beatings, sat up. "I'll be here for you." Elizabeth smiled appreciatively at her sister. But, Jane added, "And I'll try not to let my speculations get the best of me."
Elizabeth laughed. "Yeah, you need to keep that in check."
They talked more about Jane's evening with Charles' sisters for a while longer before they went to bed. Although it appeared that Elizabeth was listening to Jane, her mind was still on Jane's earlier speculations about William. These thoughts were with her even when Elizabeth went to bed. Jane and Elizabeth had agreed not to dwell on it any longer, but the idea had already been planted. It was an idea that tentatively grew in Elizabeth's mind. It did not thrive because Elizabeth would not allow it. She stunted its growth with her self doubt and lack of experience in such matters. These were strengthened by her belief that it could not be possible in such a short amount of time. However, what provided some nourishment for the idea to grow tentatively in Elizabeth's mind was a secret hope and desire in her heart it was true; William genuinely cared for her.
**Taken from Jane Austen's Emma.
Part 1: "Mascots"
The last two days for Elizabeth were almost a blur. She did have vague recollections of teaching lessons, speaking with students, and even grading some essays. It was not unusual for the week to move at such a pace, but Wednesday had crept up on Elizabeth quite unexpectedly. Although she knew that Wednesday would be the day she would go out with William in the late afternoon, it was still a shock to her that the day had actually arrived.
Eager to see William, the idea that Jane had planted in Elizabeth's mind Sunday evening had taken seed. At first, the idea that William could possibly care deeply for her was unbelievable. They had only known each other for a few days and Elizabeth's logic and reason convinced her that it was not possible. However, Elizabeth had some time to let the idea mature. She had spoke with William over the phone the last two days. Their phone conversation on Sunday was only a burgeoning of a steady intimacy that increased with each conversation. During that time, she had come to the conclusion that although it was not possible for William to care for her deeply, she was also not against the idea that he might care for her a little.
Today would be the first time Elizabeth would see William since Saturday night when he brought her dinner. However, since they had talked over the phone for the past few days, their acquaintance had remarkably improved. Jane became accustomed to the sight of Elizabeth curled on her bed late at night talking on the phone with a hushed voice and occasionally her hearty laughter echoing from her room.
However, getting to know a person over the phone as opposed to in person are two separate issues. Being on the phone allowed a person to get to know the other person without the physical distractions that were sometimes hard to avoid in person. Even though their phone conversations were pleasant and enlightening, they were still anxious to see each other. The fact that they had not seen each other for three days, but had talked frequently on the phone only increased that anxiety ten fold. Both were aware of the increasing intimacy developing between them, but each could not also help wondering if that intimacy would change when they had to face each other. Would there be any awkwardness? Will he/she look at me differently? What if he/she changes his/her mind about me? These were a few of the thoughts that plagued each of their minds.
In addition to the nervous and anxious feelings Elizabeth had about seeing William, she was also apprehensive about their date this afternoon which was supposed to be a surprise. Elizabeth tried numerous times to find out what the surprise was, but was unsuccessful. Jane, Charles, and even Anne were sworn to secrecy.
The only bit of information William imparted about their date was, "Dress comfortably." Elizabeth sighed resignedly and checked herself in the full length mirror in her bedroom again. She had decided to leave her hair down to show off her new hairstyle. The stylist had added layers to Elizabeth's hair which caused it to look curlier. She adjusted her white-cap sleeve shirt over the waist of her jeans and checked her white canvas shoes to make sure they were tied. Satisfied with her appearance, Elizabeth walked over to her closet to get her black cardigan sweater. With her sweater in her hand, Elizabeth grabbed her purse and walked out to the living room.
She checked her watch. William said he would pick her up at four o'clock which was ten minutes away. Time, which had eluded her all week, now stood still. Instead of waiting around for William and doing nothing, Elizabeth decided to check her lessons for tomorrow. She got as far as opening her lesson plan book, but her mind wandered to part of a conversation that Elizabeth had with William the previous night.
"So, where are we going tomorrow?" Elizabeth absently twirled a strand of her hair with her finger while she lay on her bed, the phone cradled next her ear by her shoulder.
"I told you, it's a surprise." William's voice gently reproached.
"You know, I'll keep asking, until you tell me."
"And I'll just keep telling you it's a surprise." William heard a soft groan from the other line of the phone. "You also didn't answer my question."
Elizabeth's cheeks burned. She asked innocently, "What question?"
"Elizabeth."
"What?"
"I can't see what you look like over the phone."
"But, it shouldn't matter."
"You're right. It doesn't matter." William hesitated a moment before he said, "But, I still would like to imagine what you look like as we talk."
"Well, can't you use the image of me from last Saturday?" Elizabeth self-consciously adjusted the skinny straps to her cotton night gown and pulled her comforter over her bare shoulders.
"Is that what your wearing right now?"
"No."
"Then I'm afraid that I'll just have to come up with my own image."
William did not speak for some time which forced Elizabeth to respond. "What are you doing?"
"Coming up with my own image of you."
Elizabeth stirred in her bed. "What kind of image?" She asked suspiciously.
"Is your mole on the left or right collar bone?"
"Right." Elizabeth sat up quickly. "How did you know I had a mole there?"
"I'm an observant person." William said enigmatically.
Elizabeth looked down at her mole. She swallowed hard. "What am I wearing in this image of yours?"
"Wearing?"
Elizabeth blinked several times. "William!"
"What?"
"Y-You can't--T-That's not what-"
"Well, if you had just told me-"
"I command you to stop imagining me-"
"You command me?"
"Yes, or-or"
"You have the loveliest strawberry birthmark on the small of your back."
"W-Wha--I--I don't have a birthmark there."
"Oh, but in my image you do."
"William!!"
"What?"
"I'm wearing jeans, a crocheted sweater, and my winter coat."
William did not speak for a moment. Then suddenly he asked, "You wear a winter coat to bed?"
Elizabeth laughed to herself. She felt herself grow warmer at the thought that William imagined her in such an intimate manner. Even though a part of her was shocked at William's boldness, a part of her secretly enjoyed it.
Elizabeth was taken out of her own intimate images of William by the sound of a knock at the door. She checked her watch again and it was five minutes until four. A cheerful smile spread across Elizabeth's face for being saved from looking at her lessons. Elizabeth reached the door immediately. Before she opened it, she nervously tucked some hair behind her ear.
William stood in front of the door with his hands behind his back and looked up at Elizabeth with a hint of an engaging smile on his lips. He wore a black-long sleeve sweater that hugged his chest and arms. His sweater was complemented with a pair of dark jeans and black hush puppies, but Elizabeth never got passed the snug-fitting sweater to notice.
"Hello." He stated simply.
Elizabeth let out the breath she had been holding. "Hi."
They stood for a moment allowing their eyes to feast on the person they had not seen in three days.
Then remembering that they had the rest of the day together, William spoke up, "Are you ready?"
"Oh, yes. I just have to get my sweater and purse." Elizabeth swiftly picked them off the breakfast counter and proceeded out the door.
As they walked down the steps, William could not help staring at Elizabeth.
"Are you driving?" Elizabeth searched the street for William's car.
William snapped out of his daze at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. "Uh, no." He motioned at the sleek black Lincoln Crown Victoria sedan parked in the street with a driver in a black suit standing next to it. "I thought it would be best if I had one of the company drivers take us to our destination."
Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up. "A driver?"
"Well, I'm still not very familiar with this town and . . ." As the driver opened the door for them, Elizabeth climbed into the car first and William followed next. The driver firmly shut the door after both passengers were secure and then proceeded to the driver's side.
"And what?" Elizabeth looked curiously at William.
William cleared his throat. "And I didn't want to be distracted by any driving." He smiled warmly at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth looked away and felt her cheeks burning. She pretended to be occupied with her seat belt.
"Shall I proceed, Mr. Darcy?"
"Yes, Silvester. Thank you."
Silvester gingerly pulled out of the parking spot and drove smoothly down the street. As they drove for some time, Silvester turned on the stereo and very faintly Van Morrison's Someone Like You played.
William turned to Elizabeth. "You know this is supposed to be a surprise."
Elizabeth nodded in agreement.
"The only way it will stay a surprise is if you don't see where we're going."
Elizabeth's eyebrow arched at William's comment.
"You have a choice: You can wear a blindfold or keep your eyes closed until we get there."
Elizabeth blinked several times. "You're serious."
William nodded, stifling his amusement.
"Well, I'd rather not be blindfolded."
"Alright."
Elizabeth thought for a moment. "But, what if I get car sick?"
"Oh." William had not considered that. "Well, what do you do so you don't get car sick?"
"Well, I usually watch the scenery." The look on William's face told Elizabeth that was not an option. "Talking usually helps too."
"That shouldn't be a problem." William's eyes twinkled as he looked at Elizabeth.
"Alright." Elizabeth sat back in her seat and looked at William doubtingly.
"I promise not to do anything that would ruin your reputation."
Elizabeth laughed at William's playfulness. She slid further down in her seat and closed her eyes.
"So, how long do I have to keep my eyes closed?"
William turned to the driver. "Silvester, how long until we get there?"
"An hour and a half to an hour and forty-five minutes depending on traffic, sir."
"Thank you."
"I have to keep my eyes closed for more than an hour?!"
"It won't be that bad. I promise to keep you entertained."
A smile tried to escape from Elizabeth's lips. "How do you plan to do that?"
"Have you forgotten?"
"Forgotten what?"
"I'm a resourceful man."
The smile successfully escaped from Elizabeth's lips.
"First, you have to tell me how your day went. You didn't have to go into work which must've been a good thing."
Elizabeth thought for a moment before she spoke. "It was nice not having to be responsible for students. Although, I don't think the workshop was very informative or helpful. It almost makes all the preparation for being out of class not worth it." William listened to Elizabeth, but since she had her eyes closed, he had the advantage of unscrupulously taking in her curvaceous form with his eyes. "I suppose the only good from it was if I hadn't gone to that workshop today, I would still be at work right now."
"I'm sorry that your workshop was a disappointment, but I hope the rest of the day doesn't end up that way as well."
"Somehow I doubt that it will."
William moved closer to Elizabeth.
"How was your day?"
"Oh, I--it was. . . fine." William quickly ran his hand through his hair and moved away from Elizabeth.
"Fine. Just fine?"
"Well, the publishing business is not as glamorous as most people think."
"Oh, I don't believe that. You get to read books by upcoming authors and meet famous ones too."
William could not help being charmed by Elizabeth's innocent perception of his line of work. "Yes, that happens some times, but not as often as you'd think."
"Really?"
"Yes. I'm not actually involved with signing authors or reading manuscripts."
"Oh." A crease formed on Elizabeth's brow. "What do you do then?"
"Well, I find ways to increase the company's business."
"That doesn't sound like a lot of fun."
William laughed. "It actually can be quite exciting at times."
"If you say so."
A lull made its way into the conversation. The only sound she heard was Van Morrison's deep voice crooning away softly.
Someone like you
Make it all worthwhile
Someone like you
Keeps me satisfied
Someone exactly like you
"What's happening?" Elizabeth tried to direct her question where she believed William sat.
"We've hit some traffic."
There was another lull in the conversation which caused Elizabeth to be impatient. "I thought you were going to keep me entertained."
William chuckled. "Sorry. I'm still getting used to seeing traffic like this." There's was a pause, then William continued, "It's fascinating how there are five lanes on this freeway, but everyone moves at the rate of a turtle."
Elizabeth laughed. "It is frustrating, but growing up here, you learn ways to entertain yourself when you're on the freeway and traffic is awful."
William returned his attention to Elizabeth. "Like what kind of things?"
Elizabeth thought for a moment. "Do you want to play a game?"
The corner of William's mouth turned up. "What type of game?"
"Mascots."
William tried to figure out what Elizabeth was referring to. "I don't think I've heard of it."
"Well, you give me the name of a city and I'll tell you the corresponding mascot for baseball."
Slowly, William replied, "Alright."
Elizabeth waited quietly.
"Baltimore."
Elizabeth bit her lower lip. "Hmm...is it the Indians?"
"No."
"Oh! The Cardinals."
"Umm...I'm afraid not."
"Wait, the Orioles."
"Right."
"I knew it was some bird thing."
William smiled fondly. "How about Arizona?"
"That one's easy. The Diamondbacks."
"Right, again."
Elizabeth interrupted. "Why don't we make this more interesting."
William's eyebrows jumped. "What'd you have in mind?"
"How about for every answer I get correct, I earn ten dollars."
William considered Elizabeth's proposal. She seemed confident, but her previous performance showed otherwise. "What if you miss an answer?"
"Hmmm. . . you can take off five dollars."
After a moment of deliberation, William decided to take a chance. "Alright. That sounds fair."
Elizabeth grinned. "Good. And Silvester will be the witness and keep track of how many I've got correct and missed. Is that alright Silvester?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
William, amused by Elizabeth's eagerness, could not take his eyes off her.
"Well?"
"Oh, right." William cleared his throat. "San Francisco."
Elizabeth's eyebrow arched. "The Giants."
"Right. How about San Diego?"
"The Padres." Elizabeth knew what William was doing. So far, he only asked her about teams that were on the west coast. She assumed that he was being nice.
"Silvester, how many did I get right?"
"Two which brings you up to twenty dollars, ma'am."
"Aren't you going to make me earn my money?" Elizabeth challenged.
William was not one to back down. "Alright." He thought for few seconds. "Pittsburgh."
Elizabeth absently twirled a strand of hair. "The Pirates."
William carefully watched Elizabeth. "Florida."
Elizabeth sighed heavily. "The Marlins."
William looked curiously at Elizabeth then at Silvester. Silvester caught William's look and shrugged.
"Texas."
Elizabeth sighed wearily again. "The Rangers."
William looked at Elizabeth with disbelief. "Silvester, how much has Elizabeth earned so far?"
"Fifty dollars, sir." Silvester had to stifle his amusement.
As if sensing William's eyes on her, Elizabeth innocently asked, "What?"
"Silvester, do you still have today's paper?"
"Yes, sir." Silvester handed back William the paper.
As William searched for the sports page, Elizabeth ventured to speak. "Why don't we try this? This time you could tell me the mascot and I'll try to guess the city. But, this time I get twenty dollars for every correct answer."
William looked at Elizabeth suspiciously. Her eyes were still closed and he was not sure what to make of her.
Then she added, "You might even win some of your money back."
William could not believe he was being challenged in such a way. "What if you miss an answer?"
"If I miss an answer, you get back ten dollars."
"Alright." Elizabeth heard the newspaper rustling before William asked, "The Tigers."
Elizabeth bit her lower lip. "Let's see . . . is it Cleveland?"
William smirked. "No." He scanned the paper again. "How about The White Sox?"
Elizabeth's brow wrinkled. "Hmmm...is it Boston?"
"No." William said with a touch of triumph. "How about The Rockies?"
However, Elizabeth grew restless humoring William. "Colorado."
William scanned the paper. "The Twins."
"Minnesota." Elizabeth did not hesitate.
"The Royals."
"Kansas City."
"The Astros."
"Houston."
"Brewers."
"Milwaukee."
"Mariners."
"Seattle."
William looked at Elizabeth with disbelief again. "Silvester, how much has Elizabeth won?"
Silvester took a few moments before answering, "If I calculated correctly, sir, she's one a hundred and fifty dollars."
William slid further down in his seat. He had totally underestimated Elizabeth.
Elizabeth remained quiet and kept her eyes shut. It was silent for some time and the only sound was Van Morrison's soulful singing.
I've been all around the world, marching to the beat of a different drum.
But, just lately I've realized, baby, the best is yet to come.
Someone like you makes it all worthwhile . . .
Elizabeth was unsure if she upset William. She knew William underestimated her, and she wanted to make a point that she should never be underestimated. But, William's silence caused Elizabeth to feel like she might have taken it too far. Then suddenly she felt a strand of her hair being gently tugged and in a whisper, she heard, "How did you do it?"
This caused Elizabeth to turn towards the source of the soft, but masculine voice. Surprised by how near his face was to hers, her eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. Elizabeth was caught in a steady gaze with William and all she could do was helplessly respond to whatever he said. "I used to play this game with my father at The Lodge." Elizabeth now saw one of her curls being gently rolled between William's fingers.
William smiled warmly. "How old were you when you started playing this game?"
"Eight." Elizabeth, intoxicated by the woody fragrance that seemed to originate from William's throat, had trouble concentrating on what William was saying.
William's eyes twinkled. "You actually know all the mascots very well, don't you?" She felt his breath on her cheek.
Undone by William's calm, baritone voice, all Elizabeth could do was answer truthfully. "Yes." She felt compelled to tell him more. "Football and Basketball too."
William laughed heartily which caused Elizabeth's heart to beat faster. "Well, you earned the money rightfully." His eyes examined Elizabeth's face closely. She felt the nape of her neck grow warm. "I'll never underestimate you again."
His proximity, the way he spoke to her, and what he said were almost too much for Elizabeth to bear. She wondered if William struggled the same way she did with keeping her emotions in check and if he knew how he affected her.
Elizabeth barely managed to say, "Thank you."
William realized that it was becoming more difficult not to move closer to Elizabeth. He slowly let go of the strand of hair that he had been touching. "You're going to ruin your surprise."
"Oh." Elizabeth shifted in her seat and looked down. Before she shut her eyes again, she looked affectionately at William and reached for his hand. When he did not pull away, she smiled.
"Silvester, how much longer until we get there?"
"About half an hour, sir."
"Thank you." William, locked in a gaze with Elizabeth, said, "You're eyes are still open."
"I promise you, I haven't the slightest clue where we are." Elizabeth squeezed William's hand.
William's breathing became unsteady at Elizabeth's touch. He reached out and tenderly caressed her face. "Close your eyes." William spoke softly. Initially he said it, so that she would not spoil the surprise, but something compelled William to move from his seat.
Elizabeth did as she was asked. She felt William's hand on her face, but then his fingers slowly slid down her feminine jaw line and they stopped right below her chin. His thumb moved gently from side to side on her chin which caused Elizabeth to catch her breath in anticipation. But, then she felt William's fingers slowly slide up the other side of her face. Her heart beat in her throat with every one of his caresses. As the back of William's fingers caressed the other side of her face, Elizabeth leaned into his caresses which caused William to move closer to her. Then she felt William's fingers tenderly drawing tiny circles on a particular spot right below her ear. Before she could respond, she felt the gentle, but ardent pressure of William's lips on that spot. She squeezed William's hand in response and opened her eyes to look at him. Before either of them could react, the driver interrupted.
"Sir, we're almost there."
William drew in his breath and huskily replied, "Thank you."
Elizabeth loosened her grip on William's hand and William slowly moved away from Elizabeth.
"You should close your eyes again." Elizabeth looked at William archly. William quickly added, "I'm going to try to concentrate on where we're going."
Elizabeth laughed quietly. Then she moved in her seat until she was comfortable and closed her eyes again.
William carefully looked at Elizabeth sitting next to him. He would have thought she was asleep, if it wasn't for the smile that she had on her lips. He fought against the urge to touch her again. He still could not believe that he had touched her only moments ago and she had not resisted. The part that he thought of most was when he kissed her. He had kissed her on her face before, but not in that way. His feelings had taken over before his better judgment could interfere. He was worried most about Elizabeth's reaction to it. He was unable to read the look in her eyes when she opened them. He thought he saw a look of surprise and confusion. He reconciled himself to the fact that they would reach their destination soon and there would not be another opportunity for him to make such a mistake again.
Part 2: "William's Surprise"
"Silvester, please try to pull up as close to the entrance as you can."
"Yes, sir."
Elizabeth and William had remained silent for the rest of the journey. It would be a few moments before they would reach their destination. Each were thinking about the intimate moment they had shared. William worried that he had crossed a line and berated himself for allowing his feelings to possess him so completely. He had decided that he was not going to make that mistake again.
And Elizabeth. . . one word could not describe how she felt. It was not the first time that William had kissed her face, but this particular kiss was different from the others. The other kisses were like a mint on a pillow or a warm cup of tea after a satisfying meal. They were modest and sweet and perfect at the end of a wonderful day spent together. But, this kiss. . . it caused the hair on her arms to stand up. It was like the wait before a decadent slice of chocolate cake. The idea itself was seductive, but to actually experience and savor it sent the senses into pure bliss. Her initial reaction was of shock and confusion. Elizabeth suspected that William cared for her a little, but this kiss impressed upon her that his feelings maybe deeper than she had suspected. Although she wanted to believe that he did care deeply for her, she could not also discount the idea that his actions may have been driven by a passion that did not mean more than just relieving some physical urgency. It was just a kiss, nothing more. Elizabeth decided. She knew it was pointless to analyze something like a kiss so critically. Elizabeth decided that she would not dwell on it any longer, but if William should want to express himself in such a way again, she was not completely against it.
Elizabeth's attention was brought back to the present by the sound of Silvester's voice, "This is as close as I can get, sir."
"Thank you, Silvester."
Elizabeth felt the car lurching to a stop.
"Keep your eyes closed." William whispered in Elizabeth's ear.
Elizabeth could not help gasping at William's breath on her earlobe and the unexpected sound of his soft voice. She merely nodded in acquiescence to William's request.
From his window, William examined the surroundings outside. I hope she likes it. Then William turned back to Elizabeth. He studied Elizabeth's alluring lips and soft eyelashes for a moment before he said, "We're here. I'll have to lead you out of the car. Do you trust me?"
Elizabeth nodded again.
"I'm going to take your hand and carefully lead you out of the car. Don't open your eyes until I tell you to, alright?"
Elizabeth heard the door open and felt William's hand take her hand gently. His hand was warm and Elizabeth felt her heart stop for a second at his gentle touch. She then felt William slowly leading her down the backseat.
"Watch your step." She felt his breath on her ear again.
Elizabeth stepped out of the car and felt the hard concrete ground under her feet. As she tried to stand up, one of her feet slid on some loose gravel and she lost her balance. She tried to grab on to something, but since her eyes were closed, her hand waved in the air frantically. Instead, her arms found their way around William's neck. Suddenly, she felt William's arm around her waist which helped keep her balance.
"Well, that was graceful." Elizabeth could hear other people's voices as they walked by. "I hope I'm not making a spectacle of myself."
"No, not at all."
This time, Elizabeth felt his soft breath on her cheek. Then she realized that his arm was still around her waist, but she felt her body pressed up against his. She quickly recovered her senses, "Is it alright if I open my eyes now?"
"Oh, yes, of course." William's grip around Elizabeth's waist loosened.
Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes. The first image she saw was of William's eyes looking intently at her. She blinked several times at the intensity of his gaze. After a few moments, William broke the gaze by turning his head in another direction. Elizabeth followed his gaze and the sight she beheld took her breath away.
Elizabeth slowly worked her way out of William's embrace and tentatively walked towards the imposing structure. If she could have reached it, she would have ran her fingers across the sign that read, "Welcome to Dodger Stadium". The stadium was not as grand as she remembered it to be. Signs of aging such as the faded paint on the walls and long, deep cracks on the pavement made Elizabeth feel as if she were visiting an ancient ruin. The last time Elizabeth was here was with her father. The thought created a tight knot in Elizabeth's throat and her feet shifted.
From behind her, she heard, "I hope you don't mind, but I thought you'd like it."
Elizabeth quickly turned to face William. She experienced a wide range of emotions that made it difficult for her to speak.
Seeing the struggle in Elizabeth's eyes, William tentatively took her hand and said, "If you don't want to go, I'll understand."
The moisture forming in Elizabeth's eyes caused her to blink several times. She never considered going to another game without her father. It was an unspoken pact shared between father and daughter. Elizabeth could not help feeling like she was betraying her father in some way.
"I haven't been here since-"
"I know." He gently brushed back a curl that had been blown across her cheek.
The steadiness in William's eyes calmed the raging emotions in Elizabeth. Does he really know? Elizabeth studied William's face again before she turned away to take in the view of the antiquated stadium. She wondered if the vendors still sold Coolicoos and threw the tasty chocolate covered ice cream sandwiches over peoples heads to give to the buyer. She wondered if Dodger dogs still tasted delicious even if the Dodgers were losing. She wondered if the petrified blue seats in the nose bleed sections still housed the true blue-blooded Dodger fans. Elizabeth looked down thoughtfully. She wondered if she could share all this with William.
Elizabeth jolted out of her thoughts when she felt William's hand on the small of her back. From behind her, she heard in a low voice, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. We can leave when you're ready."
Elizabeth contemplated her answer as she slowly turned around, but she did not look at William. She was trying to figure out how she could tell him she wanted to leave. A small part of her felt that perhaps this was something that should be kept between father and daughter, but what really made Elizabeth want to leave was the possibility that William did not care very much for her at all. If she chose to share this with him, she wanted to be sure that his feelings were not found purely on a physical attraction. She would be profoundly hurt if she learned that he brought her to this sacred place to use her in such a base manner. Elizabeth had no proof that he genuinely cared for her.
However, when Elizabeth finally looked up at William, the expression on his face surprised her. His voice was calm and steady, but the grave concern in his eyes, the tightness in his jaw, and the exaggerated crease that had formed on his forehead told her that he was agitated. The slight, but noticeable up and down breathing movement of his chest and the way his arms were at his side, but as if they were forced to stay there, further illustrated William's agitation. Elizabeth moved closer to him and tentatively rested one of her hands on his chest. Her touch regulated the movement of his chest to a normal rate, but the warmth emanating from under his sweater slightly startled her.
Her hand rested on his chest for a moment until William put his hand over hers. He breathed in deeply and almost whispered, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have presumed . . ." Then he gently lifted her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss on the top of her hand.
Elizabeth had to look away. William's humble words and sincere actions deeply struck a part of her heart. There could be no doubt. William truly did care for her. Suddenly, Elizabeth felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted after this realization. She felt her body become warmer and an irrepressible smile gracefully spread across her face. William's agitation quickly retreated at the sight of Elizabeth's radiant smile and he squeezed her hand and drew her closer to him.
"You do," Elizabeth stopped herself and started again, "You didn't do anything wrong." William looked down, but Elizabeth lifted his chin, so that she could see his eyes. "I'll admit that I didn't think I'd ever go to another baseball game again since. . . ," Elizabeth drew in her breath, "but, I'm happy that it's you who brought me here. I don't think I would want it any other way." Then Elizabeth put her arms around William's neck and embraced him. William tentatively put his arms around Elizabeth and when she did not resist his touch, his embrace became tighter.
After some moments in each other's arms, Elizabeth loosened hers and whispered in his ear, "Thank you." She kissed his cheek, but as she pulled away, her eyes locked with William's, and their faces were only inches apart. They were also unaware that they were still in each other's embrace.
As their faces drew closer, their concentration was interrupted by the sound of a blaring horn and a hostile voice, "I don't care if he's the President of the United States. The sign reads NO PARKING. So, do you know what that means? You can't park here."
Elizabeth and William quickly looked at the source of the obnoxious interruption. A portly man in an official blue uniform driving a golf cart that had in yellow SECURITY across the front had pulled up next to Silvester and the car. Elizabeth and William reluctantly pulled away from each other and William proceeded to go speak to the security officer. However, William quickly turned back to Elizabeth and asked, "Are you sure about this?"
She stifled her urge to laugh at William's protectiveness and said, "Yes. I didn't come all this way not to get a Dodger dog." A devastatingly charming smile spread across William's lips. But, before Elizabeth could surrender herself to those lips, she regained her senses and said, "Now, go help that security guard." William looked at her curiously. "That security guard looks like he might get a thrashing, judging from the look on Silvester's face."
William laughed, but as he walked over to the commotion the obnoxious security guard was creating, William could not help feeling like joining Silvester in giving that security guard a right thrashing.
"Are you sure one Dodger Dog will be enough?" William watched in awe as Elizabeth polished off the delectable hot dog. William and Elizabeth had decided to partake in some ball park food after their business with the irate security guard. Too excited to wait until the game started, let alone bringing the food back to their seats, Elizabeth insisted they eat at the concession stand.
"Yesf. Ists wsf rerry goof."
William raised an eyebrow teasingly at Elizabeth. "I can't take you anywhere. Talking with your mouth full? I'm sure Caroline would never do something so shocking."
Elizabeth covered her mouth as she stifled her laughter while trying to digest her food at the same time. After she swallowed the last of her meal and caught her breath, captivated by the challenging look in William's eyes, it forced her to retaliate.
"You know, it was really unfair of you to say something like that when I couldn't come back quickly with something witty to say." Elizabeth slowly stepped closer to William which caused him to momentarily forget about the hot dog he had. Elizabeth looked him squarely in the eye and said, "You're probably right about Caroline though." Then she unabashedly let her eyes take in William's form which caused his body temperature to rise. With her head cocked to one side, Elizabeth with a raised eyebrow said, "But, she's not here. Is she?" Elizabeth's voice was confident and playful at the same time which caused William to ache for her even more. "Now, hurry up. I'm ready to find my seat." A teasing smile played on Elizabeth's lips before she turned and walked away from him.
William, with his mouth partly agape, watched Elizabeth's form pass him. Then he realized that he was by himself and Elizabeth was walking away. He shook off the daze he was in and finished off the rest of his hot dog, grabbed the bottled waters off the counter, and hastily caught up with Elizabeth.
"Do you know where you're going?" William handed Elizabeth one of the water bottles as they continued promenading on the outer walk way that lead to the lower level seats.
Elizabeth took the water bottle William offered to her. "No." She stated flatly. "But, I thought it would be OK if I took in the scenery since I haven't been here in a while." Elizabeth, distracted by a flicker of green in the distance, cut passed William towards the source.
Frustrated and at the same time aroused by Elizabeth's determined and confident behavior, William took in a deep breath as he followed Elizabeth. It's only the beginning of the date. A part of him reveled in the idea of being with Elizabeth for the rest of the day, but another part of him did not know how he would be able to withstand Elizabeth's charms for much longer. He vowed to himself that he would not let his feelings get the best of him and try to concentrate on getting to know Elizabeth, but he found it increasingly difficult to follow through with his resolve. He cautiously strode up next to her. She silently stood on the outskirts of the walkway that led down to the lower level seats closest to the field. William watched Elizabeth closely as her eyes indulged in the expansive lush field as the players took their batting practice.
"Would you like to get a closer look at the field?" William smiled to himself as he watched Elizabeth's growing interest in her surroundings.
Startled by William's low voice, Elizabeth quickly turned to William. She bit her lip before she said, "Can we?"
It took every bit of William's self control not to place his lips on hers when she bit her lip. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Of course we can." William proceeded to walk down the steps, but stopped part way when he saw that Elizabeth was not next to him and that she had not moved from her spot.
He looked curiously at her for a moment. She looked at William with disbelief and her feet remained firmly planted in their place. William laughed to himself at Elizabeth's apprehension. "It's alright." A barely noticeable smile escaped William's lips as he walked back to Elizabeth. "You said you trust me, remember?" Elizabeth nodded her head in the affirmative. He held out his hand to Elizabeth. "Come on." Elizabeth hesitated before she took his hand slowly. When she finally took his hand, William lead her down the steps carefully.
After a few minutes walking down the steps, Elizabeth's grip on William's hand tightened. William smiled in response, but he was not facing Elizabeth. "This isn't so bad, is it?"
Elizabeth kept her eyes down and concentrated on each step she took. After she realized that they were not going to be stopped for entering this section, her wariness slowly slipped away. But, she was stubborn in admitting that William was right. Grudgingly, she said, "No, I guess not."
William chuckled. "Why were you so reluctant to come down here?" They were half way down the flight of stairs.
"Well . . . I . . . once, when I came here with my father, we tried to come closer to the field, just to get a look. . ." Elizabeth cleared her throat, "But they said we weren't allowed because we didn't have tickets for any of the seats down here."
William faltered in his steps. He did not turn around though. Instead he held Elizabeth's hand tighter and then continued walking down the steps. "Well, I suppose it's a good thing that we do have tickets for seats down here then."
Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks which caused William to be pulled back like a dog on a leash. When he turned to check Elizabeth, her eyes were wide with utter disbelief and her mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing came out.
Elizabeth's grip on William's hand was strong which caused him to step closer to her. He looked at Elizabeth with concern. "What's the matter?"
Elizabeth blinked several times before she said, "Did you--Did you say...you said we have seats down here?"
William could not help smiling at Elizabeth's surprised reaction. "Yes. Our seats are somewhere down there." He pointed in the general direction of the seats near the field. William proceeded to continue walking down the steps in that direction, but Elizabeth did not move. He turned to face her again and looked questioningly at her.
"Where? Where exactly are our seats?" Her grip on William's hand had tightened again.
William's eyes brightened at Elizabeth's eagerness. He could not remember being with anyone who showed so much interest in something that seemed so trivial. "Well. . ." William pulled out their tickets and inspected them for a moment. "It looks like our seats our down over there." William turned and pointed to the first row of seats that were separated from the field by a wall.
Elizabeth blinked in disbelief. "By the third base line?" Her eyes briefly wandered to the prized seats before they settled on William again with the same look of disbelief from before.
"I tried to get seats in the dugout, but apparently fans aren't allowed down there during a game."
For a moment, Elizabeth thought William was serious, but then she saw a twinkle in his eyes and the beginnings of a teasing smile form on his lips. Elizabeth could not help laughing. She stepped closer to William. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Of course." He allowed his devastatingly charming smile spread across his face. Then without thinking, he kissed her forehead gently. He looked at her warmly as he pulled away and tugged at her hand. "Come on." Then he proceeded to go back down the steps towards their seats.
Elizabeth hesitated before she said, "I've never sat so near the field before."
William pulled at Elizabeth's hand as he walked down the aisle of seats. When he found their seats, he stopped in front of them and turned to Elizabeth. "I'm very honored to be the first." Elizabeth colored at the reference from their previous date of catch. Her heart beat faster at the memory of what was followed after that remark. William reached for a curl that gently rested next to Elizabeth's cheek. He repeated his actions in the car by rolling the curl between his fingers. Elizabeth realized that she wished William would repeat this action more often. Then he leaned closer to her and almost whispered, "I promise to be gentle." William's soft breath and inviting voice mesmerized Elizabeth and caused her to hold his hand tighter in anticipation of what would happen next. The pressure from Elizabeth's hand caused William to drop the curl between his fingers and he stepped closer to her. He was ready to lose himself to her lips when sounds emanating from the field reminded them both that they were not alone.
"That was a late swing! Bring the bat around a little faster next time!"
"Hey! Can someone bring me a lighter bat!"
"Where the hell is that bat boy! He's never around when you need him."
"Gees! If you're going to be swinging like that, we might as well let New York go home right now and not waste any of their time!"
Elizabeth and William could not help laughing. Although the moment was lost, they were still in good humor. Playfully, William asked, "How do you like our seats so far?"
Elizabeth smiled brightly. "Well, you hear a lot of things that you don't normally hear on TV."
They both laughed again. Their seats were at the end of the aisle near the steps. After surveying the view of the field and the players, William took the aisle seat and Elizabeth sat in the one on his right. Once they were settled in their seats, Elizabeth became preoccupied with her surroundings again. She took in the view of the stadium by allowing her eyes to follow the structure of the upper levels of seats. William was content in taking in the view of Elizabeth enjoying her surroundings.
As Elizabeth continued to gaze at the seats in the upper level, she said, "I can't help feeling like I've committed some act of disloyalty."
"Well, if you'd like, I can exchange our seats for some that are on the higher level." William had a playful look in his eyes.
Elizabeth replied, "Don't you dare!" Elizabeth looked up at the seats again. "I only meant that the true fans sit up there. I feel like I'm somehow betraying them."
William leaned closer to Elizabeth. "Well, who says that you can't represent them down here?"
"My father is probably turning in his grave." Elizabeth stiffened at her words. It was a joke, but she had never joked about her father that way before. Guilt began to work it's way through her conscience.
William saw her shoulders become rigid after she made the remark. There was no doubt that she was still affected by her father's death, but he wanted to help her heal. He did not have anyone when his mother died and he did not think Elizabeth should have to go through it alone. Slowly he said, "You know if that were true, then my grandfather would be turning in his grave too if he knew I was here rooting for LA instead of New York."
Elizabeth turned to William and could not help smiling. She wondered how William always managed to know the right thing to say whenever she thought about her father. As she allowed her attention to wander to the field, she stood up suddenly at the sight of one of the players standing with a coach.
William stood up next to her and looked in the same direction as Elizabeth. "What is it?"
"That's--That's--It's him." Elizabeth blinked in astonishment.
"Who?" William continued looking at the player.
"The pitcher!" Elizabeth said in a tone that should have meant something, but William did not have a clue. Elizabeth looked back at the pitcher. "It's Luke Prokepec! The Australian pitcher." Elizabeth took a step closer to the wall separating them from the field.
William moved closer to Elizabeth. She appeared to be mesmerized by him. "You seem to take an eager interest in that man." William's eyes narrowed at the pitcher.
"Who wouldn't?" Elizabeth did not attempt to conceal her interest as she continued inspecting the pitcher from her vantage point. "Granted he's not having a great year, but. . ." Her voice trailed off. William waited for her to continue, but when she did not, he looked at her curiously. He observed the color in her cheeks had risen and her breathing became slightly labored. Her eyes drank in his form and she had a mischievous smile on her face that he almost missed. He looked at the pitcher who was furtively looking at Elizabeth while he talked to the coach. He had never wanted to throttle someone so fiercely before and a part of him burned hotly over the fact that he could not ever recall Elizabeth looking at him in that way. Slowly, feelings from the past made their way to William's heart. He could not shake the feeling that he was losing Elizabeth. With a feeling of defeat, he sat in his seat which creaked loudly at the force with which he sat. Elizabeth had not even noticed William leaving her side because a bat boy hurriedly approached her.
The young boy stopped in front of Elizabeth, trying to catch his breath. "Ma'am, Mr. Prokepec wanted you to have this."
Elizabeth blinked several times before she took the ball from the young boy. "Thank you." Once she had the ball in her possession, the young boy ran back to the pitcher. Elizabeth watched as the young boy whispered something to the pitcher and he looked up at Elizabeth. Mr. Prokepec tipped his hat and smiled warmly at her. She could not help giggling at his gallant act. When he returned his attentions back to the exasperated coach, Elizabeth returned to her seat next to William.
Slightly annoyed by the whole display, William could not help asking, "What was all that about?"
Stunned by what just happened, Elizabeth handed William the baseball the young boy had passed to her.
William took the offered ball and examined it. It was autographed and the next part shocked him. "Is that a phone number?!" William looked up at Elizabeth with astonishment.
"Ah...Yes, I suppose it is." Elizabeth could not help smiling over her conquest.
"And I suppose you're going to call him too?" William's grip on the ball tightened.
Elizabeth looked at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy? He probably does this all the time, expecting every woman to fall at his feet." Elizabeth eyed the ball in William's tight grip.
His shoulders relaxed a bit and in a more calm tone, he asked, "So, what are you going to do with this?"
Elizabeth smiled shyly and carefully took the ball from William's loosened grip. "I'm going to keep it."
"You're going to keep it?" William's voice cracked.
Elizabeth did not raise her eyes from the phone number hurriedly written in black ink on the ball. "Of course! When we have grandchildren, I want to have proof that their grandmother wasn't always such a ninny." Elizabeth traced the tight red stitches that curved and dipped near the signature.
William blinked several times at Elizabeth's statement. When we have grandchildren... the words repeated in William's head several times. There could be no mistake that Elizabeth used the words we.
"You--You--"
Elizabeth looked at William curiously.
"You said--" William stopped himself.
"What?" Elizabeth had ceased her fascination with the ball.
William looked at Elizabeth carefully. She doesn't even realize what she said. William was not sure how to feel about Elizabeth's admission. She looked back at him with such sincerity in her eyes that he knew that she was not making a flippant remark.
"Nothing." William could not bring himself to point out how Elizabeth had inadvertently revealed that she saw him as a significant part of her future. Although a part of him wished that Elizabeth looked at him with the same fervor she did with that pitcher, another part of him could not help rejoicing in the fact that he would have plenty of time to direct some of that fervor towards him. William sat back in his chair more relaxed than before. He was comforted with the knowledge that Elizabeth could not be so easily lead astray.
When William did not appear that he would continue, Elizabeth returned her attention to the ball. As she examined it, William smiled knowingly to himself. Then suddenly, Elizabeth asked, "Do you think this number works? I mean, do you think it's really his phone number?"
William chuckled. "Do you want to find out?"
Elizabeth looked at William with her eyes wide with shock. "No!!!" Then in a more calm manner, she said, "I was just curious that's all."
William did not respond, but smiled warmly at Elizabeth. Soon, her attention had been captured by the vendors scurrying around in the walkway above their section. Elizabeth talked excitedly about the food they would be able to try and how much fun it was to catch the food when the vendors would throw it at you. Then suddenly, Elizabeth's attention became diverted by the technician testing the sound system for the game. She laughed when she heard the words for "We Will Rock You" echoing through the stadium which slowly filled up with people. The players had left the field and the dirt was now being raked while some of the grounds keepers were getting ready to chalk the base lines and the batter's box.
William sat in his chair occasionally offering a comment, but he enjoyed watching Elizabeth's enthusiasm towards all the things that seemed so insignificant, but she had managed in some way to make more exciting and new. Elizabeth still held her autographed ball in her hand, but no longer paid much attention to it. A part of William's heart swelled at the fact that although some things in Elizabeth's life would have some hold on her attention, William had a feeling that his hold would be lasting.