The Bennet Women

by Eden Appiah-Kubi

  It was a pleasant night, and the moon over the tree-lined pond created a tranquil mood. They walked close together and soon were holding hands and talking softly. But just as they both seemed to be back in good spirits, EJ felt one raindrop, then another. They started walking more quickly, but when they were halfway around the pond, it began to rain buckets. EJ shrieked and ran for shelter. By the time they reached the gazebo, both their coats were soaked.

  “I’m not a superstitious person,” Will said as they caught their breath out of the rain, “but this date is starting to feel a tiny bit cursed.” He shook the water out of his hair.

  EJ was on the other side of the gazebo trying to hang her coat from one of the gables. They both watched it fall to the ground with a wet slap. She looked at the coat, then looked at him.

  “I think the universe is telling me to stop suggesting things.”

  Will laughed as he took off his rain-sodden coat. EJ settled next to him and started humming “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” They caught each other’s eyes and laughed. “This part seemed so romantic in the movie.” He draped her coat over the side of the gazebo as she moved closer. “Hey, at least you don’t turn out to be a Nazi. That would totally ruin our next date.”

  “So there’ll be a next time?” he asked. They were close enough that their hands brushed.

  “Oh, definitely.” She dropped her voice, and her eyes seemed to drink him in. “I mean, have you seen you in the moonlight?”

  Will exhaled deeply. He’d been too busy watching water droplets streak down her neck to think of a response that was adequately witty or romantic. Instead, he turned and took EJ in his arms.

  “I have a confession,” he whispered. He could feel EJ shiver in a way that was hopefully unrelated to her wet shoes. “Right now, it’s all I can do not to kiss you. You’re so gorgeous, and I know it would feel just perfect, but . . .” He delicately traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “I’m a little afraid of hurting you in your delicate papaya-induced condition.”

  EJ laughed into his shoulder. “How about you let me worry about that. I like living dangerously.”

  Will drew her close and kissed her in a way that conveyed all things.

  Over the years, when EJ thought of this night, she’d remember the strength of Will’s arm around her waist, the way he stroked the shell of her ear just before their lips touched. How she could feel his heat as their bodies pressed together, how she craved it. She would recall the steady drum of the rain as they kissed and how it felt like they were the only people in the world. Hands down, best date ever.

  SPRING BREAK

  EJ

  It wasn’t long after their amazing “Saint Patrick’s Date” that EJ and Will decided to become quietly official. They didn’t broadcast their relationship, but they agreed to be “all-in, for as long as this lasts.” Though they didn’t talk about it, EJ knew that this lovely thing between them would, if they had any sense, be over by graduation.

  Maybe that was why she found herself spending much of her spare time with Will, too—and not just at his game nights, or on dates. She told herself it was because Jamie and Tessa had gotten much busier with their coursework, but if she was honest, she just really liked being with him. He was the only person who’d go with her to support Bennet Women at poetry readings or chamber music concerts without complaint. He was always sweet to the performers afterward, too.

  It wasn’t just when they went out. EJ liked being alone with Will. Sometimes they’d just hang out in the big common room, sharing the window seat and watching the trees. Other times, they listened to her records. Even though they teased each other about their esoteric tastes, Will never made her feel woefully out of touch. In the last week, they’d started spending time at his apartment watching international reality shows or black-and-white screwball comedies. He even liked her Katharine Hepburn impression.

  Will was funny, too. That was the thing that surprised her most. And then there was the way he looked at her: like she was something precious, something magical. She’d never had a guy look at her like that. And there was the way he kissed, my God. And the way he touched her, and the way he could make her forget her own name.

  “EJ!”

  She blinked. Oh God, how long had Jamie been talking to her? Her friend was smirking, so her daydreaming must have become pretty obvious.

  “I know that smile,” she began teasingly. “You were thinking about your man.”

  EJ just gave a small self-conscious shrug in response. Jamie seemed like she was happier than Will or EJ about the two of them getting together. EJ couldn’t complain, though, since she’d been exactly the same way about Lee.

  She was keeping J company while her friend packed for Spring Break. Lee’s Fall Formal fundraiser had paid off handsomely. While most of the students were still fleeing Massachusetts for warmer climes, about 10 percent of the student body was going on one of Lee’s projects. The Gordon Campbell Society had partnered with Habitat for Humanity and was sending almost two hundred Longbourn students to volunteer across the country. GCS was even able to partially cover transportation for students who wanted to participate but didn’t have the funds. Lee and Jamie were going to New Orleans, while Tessa was leading a large contingent of students cleaning up beaches in Puerto Rico.

  “Longbourn is gonna be a ghost town,” EJ said admiringly. “Your guy did well.”

  Since someone had to be on duty at Bennet House, EJ had volunteered to stay on campus. Stella had given her a couple of notes on her Fields Fellowship presentation that she wanted to address. With everyone gone, she’d have plenty of time to work on it. Still, Tessa and Lee had been thoughtful enough to organize a project for the folks who couldn’t leave campus in nearby Seneca Falls, a former mill town that had fallen on hard times. It was only a twenty-minute drive from campus but felt worlds away.

  Jamie zipped up her wheeled suitcase and stood. “Finally, done!” She stood victoriously in the middle of her room. “Where is Will, anyway?”

  EJ nodded. “He’s getting his house ready. Will’s going to be part of an Asian American–themed episode of Finding Your Roots. He’s excited. Will’s pretty into family history but can’t do the research because he doesn’t speak Mandarin or Korean.”

  “How cool!” Jamie exclaimed. Her phone alarm went off. “Gotta go, babes. I should be leaving for the coach now.”

  EJ hopped up and crossed to her friend. “Okay, love. Have fun, be safe.”

  Jamie gave her an extra squeeze. “You too.” She sighed. “Are you starting to feel it? Graduation? The end of everything?”

  “J, don’t. I can’t.” EJ shook her head furiously. It was too hard, thinking about the end of things. “You know I’m terrible with goodbyes.”

  Jamie pursed her lips, then shrugged. “Okay, I’ll let you psychologically stall. Now get out of my room.”

  EJ kissed her friend on the cheek and did just that.

  On the night before the Seneca Falls build, Will called EJ with something clearly on his mind. “Eej, I—” he began. “Ella, I have to bring up something intensely awkward.”

  She sat up on her bed. “‘Ella’?” she echoed questioningly. “You only use my home name when you’re being super sweet or super serious. What’s up?”

  “It’s about the build. I wanted to ask—since I’m a bit higher profile than I was even a couple of months ago, I have fewer guarantees on my privacy and so—”

  “Spill!”

  “I need us to be strictly platonic at the build. We’re going to be off-campus and—”

  “You’re ashamed of me!” EJ wailed dramatically. “You’re so famous now you don’t want the world to know you’re dating some weird black girl.”

  “No! No! I swear—” Will’s protestations were overtaken by EJ’s laughter.

  “I’m sorry, had to mess with you a little. I don’t want to be in the news, especially for being your girlfriend and not, like, inventing something. It won’t help me in my field.”
She knew that celebrities managed this somehow. Dolly Parton had been married for, like, forty years, and EJ didn’t even know what the guy looked like.

  There was a long silence. A petulant silence, even. “I’m glad you’re not upset about the need for discretion, but”—a pause—“you’re mean,” Will pouted.

  “That’s true, but I’m funny.” Will was still sulking. “And I promise to make it up to you?” she offered.

  “How?” he demanded.

  “Well,” EJ began thoughtfully. “I am young, remarkably flexible, and as you know, sexually adventurous, so I dunno . . . cookies?”

  “Now I’m really looking forward to seeing you,” Will rumbled.

  “You’d better. See you soon.” EJ disconnected the call and smiled to herself. She was happy to be Will’s friend at the build, but she didn’t have to be nice about it.

  Will

  Work kept Will in New York longer than originally planned. In the end, he was able to turn up for only the last day of volunteering. The team of students from Longbourn had shrunk steadily over the week, as the most interesting work, with drills and power tools, got completed. Will graciously accepted the lightly monotonous task of nailing shingles to the roof. He’d been at it for an hour when he realized he hadn’t seen EJ yet. He asked the project manager if she knew where she was.

  “I asked her to bring supplies today since she drives around here pretty often,” she responded. “On the first day one of the other kids from Longbourn did a Dunkin’ run and got stuck in the roundabout so long the coffee got cold.”

  Just then a white pickup pulled into the gravel lot. EJ hopped out of the driver’s seat, and Will swallowed as she approached. She had obviously dressed to drive him insane. EJ was wearing a threadbare yellow T-shirt that clung to her like an old friend. She paired that with denim shorts that had the appearance of decency but closely traced the curve of her perfect ass. Her spring braids, as she liked to call them, were gathered in a high bun that showed off her long neck and the necklace he got her for her birthday.

  After some prolonged gaping, Will scrambled down the ladder to—he wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do. As EJ’s friend he couldn’t publicly criticize her without looking like a sexist pig or honestly discuss the effect of her outfit without sounding like a regular pig. This was probably what she had in mind.

  Well played, Will thought as he walked over to the table.

  “Crazy weather,” EJ called. She was carrying two trays of coffee cups, each labeled with a different name. She reached the project manager and set the trays down on a nearby folding table. “Supposed to be seventy today. Climate change is going to kill us all, but this is nice for now.”

  She turned to Will with a wicked gleam in her eye. “Would you be a love and grab the Munchkins? They’re in the passenger seat.”

  He looked around. No one else seemed to notice that EJ was dressed like the sexy Halloween version of a construction worker. They thanked her and took their coffee without a second glance. EJ knew he was paying attention, though. He wasn’t certain until she “accidentally” dropped her clipboard when she knew he was coming back with the doughnut holes. Will was watching the denim inch up her thighs so intently that he walked into one of the parked cars.

  When he returned to the folding table, EJ was alone. She looked up from her clipboard and said, “Hi, buddy!” with a merry wave.

  He glowered in response. “You said you weren’t mad,” he half whispered.

  EJ released a laugh that was high, sweet, and false. “I’m not angry, but I don’t see why I should make it easy for you.” Her smile was maddening.

  “Fine,” he said. “But remember, you brought this on yourself.”

  As the sun crept toward the sky, EJ and Will engaged in covert taunting. Will contrived to be in various stages of shirtlessness in her presence or was surreptitiously lifting and flexing. EJ countered by stretching languorously against the truck’s body whenever she caught Will’s eye and bending over more than was strictly necessary for her tasks.

  At the end of the day, after the group pictures had been taken and all the high fives exchanged, Will watched her return the pickup’s keys to the very chatty project manager.

  When EJ returned, Will stood alone next to his car. “Hi, buddy,” he said faux sweetly.

  “Where’d everybody go?” Her eyes swept the empty lot. “Where’s Marcia?”

  “You were taking so long she worried about being late for babysitting,” Will explained. “I told her I’d give you a ride back.” He smiled dangerously as he held the passenger door open. EJ rolled her eyes and got into the car.

  “You teased me just as much, you know, Mr. I Can’t Drill With My Shirt On.”

  Will slowly walked around to the driver’s seat and got in.

  “Besides”—EJ looked at him from under her eyelashes—“it’s only teasing if you have no intention of following through.” And there went that rush of blood.

  He looked around the empty lot, then pulled EJ into a searing kiss. He crushed her body against his and slid his hand over her enticing posterior. Her breath caught when he grazed his teeth down her perfect neck.

  “Fuck,” she swore, clutching at his waist.

  Will sat back in his seat, hoping he looked a bit suaver than he felt. “So,” he began, allowing EJ to catch her breath, “how do you feel about coming over to my place, hanging out?”

  “Please and thank you,” she replied.

  Will wasted no time in peeling out of the parking lot. God, I adore this woman.

  That night EJ and Will cuddled on the couch looking for something they could agree on from Netflix.

  “Ooh!” EJ exclaimed. “They have that production of Company where everyone plays their own instruments.”

  “Nice! Let’s watch. I missed that production by one month when it was on Broadway. Lily saw it, though, and raved. ‘Being Alive’ is my favorite audition song.”

  “Sondheim at an audition? Brave man.”

  Just after the Netflix logo flashed across the screen, EJ’s phone vibrated on the coffee table. “Hi, Dylann,” she answered, moving out of earshot. She was careful with the privacy of her residents. She was gone for only a couple of minutes, but when she returned, her face was grave.

  “What’s wrong?” Will asked.

  She sat next to him on the couch and curled into his side. “You remember the perky freshman who made my scarf, Dia?”

  Will didn’t, but he nodded anyway.

  EJ went to speak but hesitated. After taking a breath, she finally said, “That was her sister—it sounds like Jordan Walker is making her his next target.”

  Will ruefully shook his head. It was infuriating after all this time that Jordan was still up to his old tricks: exploiting women and then playing on their shame.

  She wrung her hands. They both felt the urgency. “I’ll talk to her,” she said quietly. Will could sense her uncertainty warring with her distress. “If I can get her to see . . .” She trailed off.

  He took her hand and kissed it. “Hey, I will do everything in my power to stop Jordan from disrupting your friend’s life. You try things your way, but if you need reinforcements, I’m here.”

  EJ dropped her head to his chest. “Thank you. I’ll try and talk to her first.”

  EJ

  That night EJ tossed and turned in bed. She couldn’t get her conversation with Dylann out of her mind.

  “EJ, I hate to come with you with more Dia trouble after all you’ve done,” Dylann had begun as EJ made her way to Will’s bedroom. “But I’m just so worried about Dia.”

  EJ frowned. The perky freshman had seemed fine the last time she saw her—better than fine, actually. She was growing confident from her work for Sir Titus. “I can tell you that she’s not missing or anything, if you’ve been trying to get in touch. She’s been babysitting all week for a family in town.”

  Dylann sighed. She sounded frazzled. “It’s nothing like that, just—the last few
times we’ve chatted, all she’s done is talk about some guy named Jordan Walker. ‘Jordan’s the best actor in our class.’ ‘Jordan’s going to cover my entry fee for Drama Scholars.’ ‘Jordan thinks I should move to LA after graduation.’”

  EJ gaped. “LA! Dia’s always been obsessed with Broadway. With theater.” Jamie made fun of her for being a culture snob, but EJ had nothing on Dia when she was ranting about bad acting in movies.

  “Thank you!” Dylann sighed. “And yes, she might just be growing and changing. That’s what college is for. I know that better than anyone.” She was clearly trying to convince herself now. “I want to let her make her own decisions and everything, but the way she talks . . . it’s like he’s Charles Manson. I’m afraid she’ll follow him anywhere.” She sighed again. “Please just tell me I’m overreacting.”

  EJ rubbed the back of her neck anxiously. “I wish I could. I really do.” She then told Dylann what she could about Jordan’s past with younger women.

  EJ shuddered at the memory and sat up in bed. She picked up her phone and drafted an email inviting Dia to lunch. She didn’t quite know what to say, but Dia had listened to her advice before.

  EJ’s Lunch with Dia

  They were sitting in a quiet, slightly drafty corner of the dining hall near a large window. EJ glanced out at the dangerous-looking icicles melting from the roof. She had her typical lunch: fries and a bowl of cucumbers. Dia was having the day’s special, an ambitious pasta dish. After making a dent in her meal, EJ dove in.

  “Dia, I brought you here because I heard that you’ve been hanging out with a guy named Jordan Walker. There are some things that I think you should know—”

  “Say no more.” The younger woman dabbed her mouth with a paper napkin, then placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “Jordan confessed to me about how shoddily he treated you—about hooking up with you and never calling.”