First Impressions: A Modern Retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (Meryton Medical Romances Book 1)

by Ruby Cruz

  Annoyed that they’d both turned on me, I bit out, “Sure, Mom. Why don’t I leave you both with all your medical expertise here in the kitchen to cook us up a wonderful, delicious, high carb, high fat, high calorie dinner that’s sure to clog our arteries and dangerously raise our blood sugar levels?”

  I loved them both, but I could only put up with both of them in small doses. With a sigh, I joined Hal in the living room and started catching up on my emails. I nearly dropped my phone when I saw the text from Luke. U home?

  I hesitated before texting back, at my mom’s. and u?

  I nearly dropped my phone again when it rang. I waited so long to answer that it nearly switched to voice mail. I prayed that it wouldn’t and that I’d catch him in time. “Hello?” Hal ignored me as I left the living room and stepped out the front door. I ignored the bite of cold and Misty’s eager yips as I held the phone to my ear.

  “Hey.”

  I don’t know what I felt as I heard Luke’s voice. Trepidation, anxiety, relief, elation? “What’s up?” Despite the tension knotting up my shoulders, my tone was casual and breezy, as if we’d only just spoken yesterday.

  Luke laughed. “Only you, Lizzy Bennett. Only you.”

  Silence bloomed between us. Finally, I said, “I’m sorry. I should’ve been the one to call first.”

  “You did call. I just didn’t answer.”

  He had opted to stay in New York for Thanksgiving. He didn’t say whom he was spending the holiday with but I suspected that he wasn’t as chipper as he was acting on the phone. He didn’t mention his mom or Colin and I felt a pang as I imagined him spending a lonely evening in his apartment with a frozen dinner or takeout.

  I made small talk about how the job wasn’t as fun without him around, and then segued to the lack of male hotness left by his departure. “What? What about George?”

  I told Luke about George’s continued disappearance, and about Charlie suddenly leaving Jane. “It’s been like a mass exodus of handsome, eligible males around here, at least according to my mother.”

  “And how are you?” he asked with a smidgeon of concern laced with curiosity.

  “I’m okay.” I didn’t tell him about the blow to my ego that George’s leaving had caused, but I didn’t need to.

  He sighed, a world of apology swimming in the single sound. “What are you doing next weekend?”

  ~

  When I stepped off the train at Penn Station, I felt somewhat disoriented by the bustle of people around me. I’d been born and raised in a small, relatively rural town, two hours from New York City, so my experience with the city revolved around trips to see Broadway shows with Luke, school field trips and one rebellious night out with Luke and Jane when we were in college.

  I was relieved when I saw Luke’s tall figure approach me when I entered the main atrium. There were so many people, but there he was in a neon orange polo and jeans. He’d cut his hair and his shoes seemed so much more fashionable than the sneakers I was used to seeing him in. I almost felt as if I were meeting the wrong Luke, or a different version of him: Luke 2.0.

  When we saw each other, there was no hesitation. We grabbed each other in a bone crushing hug. God, I missed my best friend.

  When we finally stepped back to examine each other, I fingered his shirt. “Didn’t they have this in fuchsia? I think fuchsia would’ve been more flattering.”

  “Laugh all you want, country girl. This color is smokin’.”

  “Yeah, for construction workers.”

  The banter continued as if we’d never fought, as if we’d never been apart. Once we’d gotten the initial jitters out of our systems and Luke led me down towards the subway, I sobered. “I can’t believe you actually live here now.” I gestured to the scores of people surrounding us. “Aren’t you even just a little bit intimidated by all this?”

  “Of course I was, especially when I first moved out here, but Colin helped me out, showed me the ropes.” We joined the throng of people waiting on the platform.

  There it was. The first mention of the man who’d taken away my best friend. “How is Colin? I mean, how is living with him, working with him? Doesn’t he annoy you just a little bit?”

  Though I couldn’t hear the sigh, I sensed it. “He’s got his quirks, but he means well. Lizzy, he’s not a bad person. Yeah, he can get full of himself and he tends to ramble, but it’s cool. You know me. It takes a lot to bother me. I’m the Dalai Lama.”

  “So living with him is ok? It’s not too weird or anything?”

  “He keeps his porn collection to himself, unfortunately, and he’s still pretty closeted, but it’s fine. We each have our own rooms, which in this city, is not a small feat, and I haven’t caught him trying to sneak into the shower with me or anything. We’re just roommates and co-workers. Actually, technically, he’s also my boss, but we’re cool. I travel two weeks out of the month, so that helps also.”

  “Good, I’m glad.” A part of me felt hugely relieved at the news since a part of me had been convinced that Colin was one of those weird serial killers who break at the littlest provocation. Our train arrived and we squeezed into the car until I was wedged between Luke and a pole. “So, where are we going? You said you lived in Chelsea but I have no idea what that means.”

  “Dr. DeBourgh, the brains behind the research we’re conducting, owns an apartment building in Chelsea.” At my blank look, Luke explained, “It’s part of the west-side of Manhattan, you know, the Hudson River side, on 19th Street. The apartment isn’t very big, but it’s bigger than the shoebox in Brooklyn I probably would be living in if Colin hadn’t invited me to be his roommate. It’s nice, clean, and safe. There’s no way we would’ve been able to afford an apartment like this in Manhattan on our salaries so it’s actually really cool that she’s letting us live there.”

  “For free? You don’t have to pay rent?” I couldn’t comprehend the generosity.

  “Well, not exactly free. We have to pay for utilities and stuff, and we’re also the superintendents of the building. If stuff goes wrong in the other apartments, we have to take care of it or at least find someone who can take care of it. It’s still a really nice arrangement. Apartments like these go for about three grand a month in this area.”

  Three grand?!? “Wow. You could buy a couple houses in Meryton with that amount of money.”

  “No kidding. So if Colin seems a bit over the top in his praise of Dr. DeBourgh, he’s got a pretty good reason. Speaking of which, I’ve got to warn you.”

  “What?” I asked suspiciously.

  “I mentioned to Colin that you were coming to visit and he mentioned it to the Doctor and she invited us for dinner at her place tomorrow night.”

  “Do we have to go? I thought it’d be nice for us to hang out, you know, catch up.”

  “I know, but it’s sort of complicated. She’s not really the type of person you say no to.” At my expression, Luke added quickly, “When you meet her, you’ll understand. I promise I’ll make it up to you. And besides, her dinners are always excellent, gourmet Top Chef-quality stuff.”

  “She’s an entrepreneur, a world-class neurovascular surgeon, and a gourmet cook?”

  “She has a personal chef and he’s excellent.”

  At Luke’s tone, I arched an eyebrow. “Oh really? And how personal did you get with this chef?”

  “Okay, so he’s cooked me a private dinner a couple times, it’s nothing serious.”

  I was really happy that Luke seemed so settled in his new life, though I still felt bittersweet that he’d moved on without me. Luke 2.0 and sometimes I felt like I was still stuck at Lizzy: beta test version.

  After a couple of minutes, the train slowed and Luke tugged on my arm. “This is us.” He grabbed my hand and led me off the train, navigating us through the people and towards the subway exit. When we emerged into the New York City sunlight, I blinked. The rushing cars and pedestrians, the sounds and smells all were overwh
elming.

  “Come on, country girl. The apartment’s this way.” He briskly led me down the sidewalk, away from the bustle and towards a quieter street lined with three or four story townhouses. It was a far cry from the skyscrapers and dingy buildings I’d been expecting. “Nice, eh?” Luke asked as he could sense me relaxing. “I would’ve been more than Dr. DeBourgh’s handyman to live in this neighborhood, that’s for sure.” He stopped at a gate and unlatched it. “We have the basement apartment but don’t let looks deceive you.”

  He climbed down a couple of concrete steps and stopped on a tiny landing that was crowded with a garbage can and accompanying recycling bin. There was hardly any room for me so I waited until Luke unlocked the bright blue door before following him. Another step down, another miniscule landing, another locked door to bypass and we were in his apartment.

  The apartment was dark which wasn’t too surprising given we were nearly below street level. The entry led into what appeared to be a small dining area flanked by a coat rack and a standing lamp. A large print of a New York City nightscape hung above the miniscule dining table – I recognized the print as one of Luke’s favorites. The space opened into the living room, which was dominated by a large, flat screen TV mounted on the brick face of the far wall above what appeared to be a working fireplace. A small loveseat and recliner surrounded the coffee table. On the street side, a small, iron-barred window faced the traffic, while opposite that was a breakfast bar with granite counter tops. The kitchen was larger than mine, with white-washed cabinets and updated appliances.

  Colin stood from where he’d been sitting on the couch and working on his laptop. “Ah, Lizzy, how good to see you again.” He approached me and formally shook my hand. “Welcome. I hope your train ride was comfortable.”

  “I wouldn’t exactly say it was comfortable but it wasn’t crowded.”

  “Yes, as our P.I. Dr. Catherine DeBourgh believes, trains are the conduits between heaven and heaven, with the train ride itself being hell. Dr. DeBourgh, herself never deigns to ride the subway or mass transit in general; however, as a younger woman she experienced public transportation as a way to enlighten herself to the burden that the typical urban, working class person faces. Dr. DeBourgh has at her disposal any number of privately owned vehicles, her favorite of which being a vintage, lovingly restored 1967 Ford Mustang. She does employ a limousine service in cases of heavy traffic or if preparing for a presentation to our sponsors, however, she does prefer to drive herself whenever possible.”

  I almost wished that Colin had been on the train ride with me, maybe I would’ve been able to sleep on the way here. “This is a great apartment,” I announced. “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

  “Luke is my roommate and, of course, entitled to the privilege of having the occasional guest here. We are indebted to the generosity of our P.I. Dr. Catherine DeBourgh, of course, whose family owns this brownstone and several like it in the area. We oversee the maintenance and management of it and its tenants but that is only a small service given the magnitude of Dr. DeBourgh’s generosity. She has allowed us to renovate the apartment to fit our tastes and style, however, she personally supervises and approves any renovations requested by the tenants in order to keep a consistency in style and maintain the integrity of design required when maintaining historical architecture.”

  Colin prattled on about the brick face in the living room and the recent updates to the plumbing in the kitchen and dining room. Luke commented to me in a low voice, “Pretty nice, right? I convinced Colin that we had to redecorate so he let me fix up the kitchen and living room. For a gay man, he has absolutely no sense of style.”

  Colin and Luke led me down a narrow hallway and to Luke’s bedroom. The room was very small and barely fit a full-sized bed and dresser. Colin began to describe how the apartment used to only have one large bedroom and it had been split into two bedrooms by the previous tenant. Luke said, again in a low voice so Colin couldn’t hear, “I have to admit, the bedroom situation sort of sucks. Since I’m the lesser partner in the agreement, I get the smaller bedroom. The closet space is atrocious, so I store most of my stuff in the wine cellar.”

  “You have a wine cellar?”

  Colin, hearing my question, switched gears. “Oh, yes, the wine cellar is located in the subbasement below us. It has been repurposed as a storage area and laundry room.” He launched into a brief history of the building and explained how the original owner had been a wine fanatic who collected and stored rare vintages in the wine cellar. “It is said that the total worth of his collection was more than the worth of the entire building itself. When he passed away, his children removed the wine and dispersed it with the rest of his estate. Dr. DeBourgh has lamented about the shame of wasting such a treasure trove on naïve and unsophisticated palates.”

  He led me out of Luke’s bedroom and through what appeared to be his own room, which was larger than Luke’s but not by much. I felt sort of strange coming into Colin’s room but neither of the guys seemed bothered by the impropriety. Colin opened a door on the far wall of the room and stepped outside onto a small patio.

  “One of the previous tenants was a horticulturist for the Bronx Botanical Gardens and experimented with a variety of rare plants and flowers in the small garden. As you can see, the tenant before us has allowed it to fall into disrepair but your friend and I plan on changing that and restoring it to its previous splendor. I’m sure you know that my mother has won awards for her landscape design in Meryton, and Dr. DeBourgh herself has a practiced eye for landscaping through her partnership with various farms in the Tri-State area.”

  “Hey, Colin, why don’t you crack open that bottle of wine Dr. DeBourgh gave us last week? I’m sure Lizzy would like a glass to relax before tonight.” Luke suggested.

  Colin, eager to show off his employer’s exceptional taste in wine, ran back into the apartment. Luke practically beamed at me when his roommate left. “Isn’t this great? In the summer, I’m planning on having all kinds of dinner parties and cookouts.” The patio was just large enough to admit a small patio table with four chairs and a small grill. Even though areas of the patio needed repair and the small garden was teeming with weeds, there was a certain charm to the space. A fading dwarf plum tree and ivy creeping up the walls of the brownstone surrounded us and made me feel as if we’d escaped from the city into a tiny Eden. Even the sounds of traffic seemed muffled here.

  “This is great, Luke, perfect for you, actually. I’m glad you’re so happy here.”

  “I am, Lizzy, I really am.” He must have seen something on my face because he added almost apologetically, “You know I never really belonged in Meryton, right? With me being one of a handful of openly gay people, I couldn’t ever be happy there.”

  “I know. I just wish that you and I could find a place to be happy together. You know, like in a Will and Grace, pre-Harry Connick, Jr. way.” I sat down on one of the patio chairs. “Things are different without you around. Though Jane would never admit it, she’s been depressed ever since Charles left. And ever since she broke up with Dr. Forster, Lydia’s been acting really weird and spacey and driving all of us crazy at work. She’s even been written up a couple of times for forgetting to administer meds. And my mom…God, she’s been on a rampage ever since Jane and Charlie broke up and her plans for Colin and me never came through. She says she prays to Mother Mary every night that her daughters find decent men to marry.”

  “So you haven’t heard from George at all?”

  “Nope, he just stopped contacting me since the gala. I don’t know if he’s mad at me or something, but he hasn’t answered any of my texts or emails. It’s fine, though. I mean, he was hot and all, but there was always something missing. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

  “If it’s any consolation, I never saw him as anything more than a distraction for you.”

  “Really?”

  “He was friendly enough, and totally hot, like you
said, but he always seemed a little off. Maybe being cut out of the family fortune does that to you.”

  “I still can’t believe Darcy did that to him. Well, actually, I can believe it because I think Darcy is the Angel of Death, but I can’t understand how one human being can do that to another. It seems so callous.”

  “Dr. Darcy isn’t exactly known for his warm and fuzzies. Speaking of the devil, he’s going to be there tonight as well.”

  “Be where tonight?”

  “Dr. DeBourgh’s. Apparently he was in town consulting with some of his old colleagues when Dr. DeBourgh decided he should come to the dinner party tonight.”

  “How do they even know each other?”

  “You didn’t know?” At my blank look, Luke explained, “Dr. DeBourgh is Darcy’s aunt.”

  I had a fleeting memory of Darcy’s brief conversation with Colin at the gala. I cringed. “God, of all the weekends he could show up.”

  “He is the Doctor’s nephew, we can’t exclude him.”

  “I know. It’s just after everything that’s happened, he’s the last person I want to see, never mind spend an entire evening with.” I just wanted to go out into the city with Luke and now it seemed I’d be stuck making polite conversation with Dr. Doomsday Darcy, Colin, and the formidable Dr. DeBourgh. “So, what are we going to do before dinner?”

  “Well, after our requisite drink with Colin, I thought I’d take you for a little sightseeing before we head uptown.”

  Colin emerged from the apartment holding a small tray laden with wine glasses. “May I suggest a tour of this area? The turn of the century architecture is spectacular and best viewed at sunset. Time is of an essence, however. Dr. DeBourgh always insists on punctuality, and you will still need to come back here and change before dinner.”

  “Change?”

  “Dr. DeBourgh is very particular about the dinner attire of her guests. While she possesses a keen eye for casual and semi-casual fashion, Dr. DeBourgh has a strict dinner policy requiring at least semi-formal attire for her guests. I would have thought Luke would have apprised you of this.” Colin flashed a reproving look to Luke who merely shrugged.