by Kelsie Fann
Liz leaned back in her seat. She needed to calm down and take control of the situation.
Darcy turned to James. “Could you give us a minute?”
James stood slowly like he was walking away from a bomb. “As long as you two don’t claw each other’s eyes out.”
James walked around the table and bent down beside Liz. “And don’t mind him. He’s grouchy on Mondays.” James nodded toward Darcy, who pretended not to hear him.
As soon as James was out of the office, Liz turned to Darcy. If he thought she was going to back down, he was mistaken. She’d spent months and countless meetings worried about what kind of mood he was going to be in. Liz crossed her arms and put her elbows on the table. “What is wrong with you? One minute you’re hot, one your cold. You leave at strange times . . . ”
“Leave at strange times?” he cut her off.
“Yes, you just got up and left lunch with Georgia.”
Darcy set his portfolio and phone back down. “I can’t let you hire five people right now.”
“Why?” Liz asked. “What are you so scared of?”
“Denver still isn’t turning a profit, and I’m not sure I can talk the board into doubling your staff right now if we are going to be shutting down our only other expansion project before the end of the year.”
Liz understood his point. He was being cautious, but she had proven herself, and she needed help. “I literally can’t continue working this much. I’m spending eighty hours a week in the office.”
“Welcome to being in management,” he quipped.
Liz glared at Darcy. She couldn’t believe how cold he was being. Where was the guy who had hit the piñata in the middle of a restaurant? Where was the guy who had bought the Chambers’s House for his sister’s birthday?
Liz felt the buzz in her blood stream bubble into a rage. She prided herself on never asking for help unless she needed it. If Darcy couldn’t see how desperate she was, then maybe Pemberley wasn’t the right place for her. Liz stood up, straightened her jacket, and turned to leave.
“Are you okay?” Darcy said as she put her hand on the doorknob.
She didn’t turn around.
As Liz marched away, she passed Caroline, who looked up from her perch against the outer wall of the conference room. Liz stared right at the leggy woman, daring her to make a fat joke. Luckily for Caroline, she didn’t say anything as Liz passed.
Liz immediately got a ride back to her hotel, grabbed her bag, and headed straight to the airport. Sad cloud or not, she was going back home.
21.
What was he doing? When it came to Liz, Darcy wanted to give her the moon—or in this case, a hundred employees. She stood up to him, protected her staff, and demanded what she needed. He knew she was the kind of woman his father talked about: a partner, not a passenger.
As a man, he knew how rare she was. She was warm, kind, smart, and beautiful. But those qualities inflamed the other part of his brain, the employer part. The part that was scared to give her anything because she might know how he felt. His side burned, remembering how good it felt when his arm was wrapped around her shoulders after Stella’s bombshell. He couldn’t get over how right it felt to comfort her.
Darcy took off his suit jacket, and James poked his head in the conference room after Liz stormed out. “That didn’t look good.”
“It wasn’t.” Darcy walked past his friend and into his office. He sat down in his chair as his brain was tugged in a million different directions.
He opened his email and typed as short and sweet of a message as he could muster.
Liz,
Please move forward with hiring five people. I appreciate all your hard work and dedication.
Darcy.
His mouse hovered over the send button, and the employer part of his brain popped back up. He had never approved five hires at once before in a branch that was under a year old. He couldn’t make an exception for Liz.
Liz wasn’t just another employee. She was the future of Pemberley’s growth. If this southern expansion went well, they could open ten more offices in the southern states, but not if Savannah didn’t succeed. He couldn’t give the board any reason to shut her down. The best thing for the company would be if he kept the branch as lean as possible for as long as possible.
That’s right, he told himself. He couldn’t let his feelings for her sway his judgement. He needed her to succeed, so he needed to be harder on her than everyone else.
Darcy moved his mouse so it no longer hovered over the send button. Before his soft side could reclaim his mind, he clicked the “X,” sending the email to the trash.
22.
Stella’s baby shower was an explosion of pink and gold. The curtains were flowing pink chiffon and gold balloons. Baby-pink roses sprung from every surface. Even the fake logs in the fireplace were painted gold and splashed with petals.
“Liz, I’m so glad you came.” Stella wrapped Liz in a hug. Liz could feel her friend’s large baby bump press against her stomach.
“Of course, I came.” Liz looked into her friend’s eyes, and she didn’t know what to expect. The woman who she met on the street? Or the one who told her she was about to be engaged? Or the woman Rose told her about, who was manipulated into stealing money from the company she worked for?
As Liz looked at her friend’s face, she saw the former: a happy woman without a trace of worry or unease in her friend’s eyes.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Stella motioned around the room at the over-the-top décor.
“Yes, it is.” Liz’s eyes landed on the golden rubber duckies floating in pink punch. “You look good, too.”
“I feel great.” Stella rubbed her stomach and beamed a smile at Liz. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Liz tried to hide her thoughts. Maybe the pregnancy hormones had taken over Stella’s body and made her forget that she was about to be a single mother without a job. If the hormones were that good, Liz definitely needed to get some.
“I’m going to get a drink.” Liz walked toward the bright pink bowl.
“Oh, Rose!” Stella exclaimed. Liz turned to see Rose glide into the shower.
Liz watched Stella and Rose embrace as she poured the bright pink liquid in a cup and took a sip. It was so sweet that Liz was pretty sure she’d immediately gotten a cavity. She swallowed and walked toward Elise, who was standing in a corner.
“Hi, Liz,” Elise said.
“Hi, Elise.” Liz wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I like the bob.” Liz surveyed Elise’s bright red hair. Elise was a hair chameleon who was somehow able to pull of any hairstyle she tried.
“Thanks,” Elise said, wrapping her arm around Liz’s waist. Liz didn’t even know the last time she’d talked to Elise about anything except work.
“How’s life?” Liz asked.
Elise’s eyes followed Stella, who was bouncing around the room. “Not as good as Stella’s.”
Liz watched Stella tip her head back and laugh at what another guest was saying as she smoothed down the sides of her giant, pink, poufy dress. “She seems happy,” Liz said slowly.
Elise smoothed the back of her bob. “I would be, too, if I just got a job and a man in the same week.”
Liz dropped her arm around from around Elise’s shoulders. She turned to face Elise. “She got a job?”
“Marketing manager at Dorfman’s. Signing bonus and everything.”
“No way. Dorrfman’s? The biggest clothing boutique in Savannah, Dorrfman’s?” Liz whispered. A weight fell off of Liz’s shoulders. She’d been racking her brain, trying to figure out who Stella could work for, but the problem had solved itself.
Elise nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Wow,” Liz said.
Rose walked up and handed Liz and Elise intricately-decorated, pink cookies. “Hamilton’s back in the picture too,” she whispered into Liz’s ear.
Questions pounded through Liz’s mind as she watched Stella
open blankets, clothes, pacifiers, and countless diapers.
By the end of the shower, Liz was no closer to an answer to her questions. How did Stella get a job without a refence from Liz? Why did Stella take Hamilton back? Instead of continuing to try and answer her questions, Liz focused on spending time with her friends—outside of work.
They were all huddled on a couch and a few chairs in the corner of the room as the last guest left. Stella plopped down beside them, arranging her pink dress perfectly across her round belly.
“We need to get together outside of work. I need a break from the grind,” Liz said.
Rose raised her glass of too-sweet punch. “I’m in!”
“Absolutely.” Elise raised her glass, too.
They clinked glasses while Stella pouted and rubbed her stomach once again. “I’ll try, but I’ll be busy with the baby for a while,” she said, looking at her belly. “Do you guys want to see pictures of the nursery?” Stella asked, flipping through her phone.
“What are you going to name her?” Liz interrupted. “How about Elizabeth? Always a classic.”
Rose put her hand on Liz’s shoulder and shook her head. “No, definitely Rosie.”
Stella shook her head. “Hamilton and I are keeping it our little secret.” She looked down at her stomach.
A thought hit Liz as she looked at pictures of pink-and-white baby bedding. Maybe Hamilton got her the new job? Liz thought.
She couldn’t let go of the possibility until the end of the shower. Liz was the last one to say goodbye. “Will you tell him thanks for me?” Stella asked as they embraced.
“What?” she asked.
“Darcy.” Stella pulled away.
Liz looked into her friend’s bright, glowing face and tilted her head in confusion. “For what?”
“I thought he told you,” Stella said.
Liz’s took Stella’s hands. “Now you have to tell me.”
Stella clicked her tongue and looked away from Liz. “He got me the job. The manager from Dorrfman’s called me last week and said my old boss had suggested me for the position. At first, I thought it was you, but the manager said it was Darcy who recommended me.”
“I thought maybe Hamilton got you the job and that’s why you got back with him.”
Stella’s mouth fell open. “Hamilton and I never broke up. Why would I need to get back with him?”
Liz studied Stella. She really was delusional or afraid to admit the truth. Liz squeezed Stella’s hands. “It’s okay. Rose told me he didn’t want the baby.”
Stella ripped her hands out of Liz’s. “Rose is a liar. Hamilton loves this baby.”
“Okay, sorry.” Liz didn’t want to risk upsetting Stella, but she couldn’t help but try to warn her.
“Promise me you’ll be careful with Hamilton. He’s not the good person you think he is.” Liz wanted to grab her friend’s shoulders and make her promise like a preschooler, but she knew Stella was a grown woman and could make her own decision.
“Hamilton’s perfect.” Stella beamed. “You just don’t know him like I do.”
Liz sighed. There was nothing else she could say. She gave Stella a quick smile and walked out of the house, down the steps, and into her car.
“Tell Darcy I said thank you!” Stella shouted after her.
Liz spent the whole ride home wondering why Darcy went out of his way to help a person who stole from him. About halfway home, even though she was still hurt about his hiring decision, she decided to forgive him for everything.
Darcy had shown her twice, once by buying the Chamber’s mansion and once by getting Stella a job, that even though he could be cold, he was generous. He was the kind of man who would fix a wrong, even if he hadn’t caused it.
Liz swallowed the lump in her throat as she thought of him. She desperately wanted to talk to him, to be comforted for just one more second by his presence.
23.
After Stella’s revelation, Liz decided to stay at Pemberley Media, hoping Darcy would come around and let her fill the office when it was time. Until then, she hired the one position Darcy approved of during her review.
Liz knew she needed a hard worker, so she spent almost a month carefully hiring her first administrative assistant.
Hilda was a sixty-three-year-old woman who could type sixty-five words a minute, bake cookies, and raise cows. Liz loved her immediately. She was a fast-talking grandmother whose silver hair and capri pants added such a sense of calm to the office that Liz didn’t know how they’d operated without her.
Hilda briefed Liz on her to-do list every morning. “You’ve got a campaign presentation, Walter called about a typo on their Instagram story, and your banner ad for Roma’s Pizzeria is going up today.” Hilda continued to go over the office calendar for the day.
Liz listened intently, knowing most of the information, but loving that she had someone to go over everything with. “Any strange expenses?”
“All accounted for. We’re under budget this month.”
Liz relaxed into her chair. Hilda had been working for Liz for four months, long enough for her to learn every client, first by name and then by favorite homemade dessert.
However, a few months after Hilda’s arrival, due mostly to the woman’s enormous work ethic, they got more clients, which put Liz under an even bigger stack of work. She knew she needed to get approval to hire some more people, but she definitely wasn’t going to give Darcy the satisfaction of asking.
A month after Liz hired Hilda, Caroline walked through the office door during their morning briefing. Liz’s stomach dropped. “Hilda, can we talk later?” Liz asked.
“Sure, Liz.” Hilda looked suspiciously at Caroline as she approached Liz’s desk.
Hilda stood up and leaned toward Liz. “Do you need anything?”
“I’m okay.” She knew whatever was about to happen probably wouldn’t be good, and she didn’t want Hilda to be involved.
Hilda walked out of the executive office.
“Hello, Caroline,” Liz said. “How can I help you?”
Caroline put her hands on her hips, and her nose scrunched as she looked around the office. “I’m here to evaluate your interior flow.” She scanned the office. “It’s horrible in case you were wondering.”
Liz’s brow furrowed, and she leaned forward in her chair. What is going on? She looked around at the office and wondered if she were in a dream. No, she thought, this can’t be a dream. I remember brushing my teeth, and I never brush my teeth during dreams.
Liz looked at her computer screen just to double-check. Yep, it was 9:15, and the computer said the right date.
She knew Caroline wanted to upset her, and she wasn’t going to let Caroline get what she wanted. “No ‘hello, how is your week?’”
Caroline rolled her eyes and huffed at Liz’s lack of response. Liz was right. Caroline wanted a confrontation. She sat down in front of Liz’s desk, setting her expensive bag on her lap. “I’m just cutting to the chase because I’m not staying long.”
“Why is that?” Liz asked, continuing to play it cool. “I have an extra bedroom at my apartment. You can stay with me.”
Caroline snorted at the proposition. “Never. The last time I stayed here, I had to get two weeks of treatments on my hair after it was infiltrated by the humidity. Can I get back to the point?”
“Which is? You didn’t come down here to talk about flow, did you?”
Caroline huffed again. “Do I need to spell it out for you?” Caroline asked.
Liz still wasn’t giving in. “Apparently, you do.”
“I saw you in Chicago with Darcy. And he hasn’t been the same since your visit. If you’re trying to get your claws into him, I feel like you need to know that Darcy is never going to want to date you.”
“Why?” The word popped out of Liz’s mouth before she could stop it.
“Because,” Caroline waved her hand over Liz’s body, “obviously.”
On one hand, Liz wanted to tear Ca
roline’s hair out, but she knew Savannah’s humidity would probably do that for her. On the other, Liz just wanted her to leave, so instead of releasing the months of exhaustion onto Caroline in the form of a verbal assault, Liz took a deep breath.
She reminded herself that Caroline was the sister of James, who was a partner at the company. And, as a good employee—like Liz always was—she swallowed her words, letting only one harmless sentence escape. “Okay, thanks for coming. I better get back to work.” Liz gestured toward her computer’s entirely too-full email box.
“That’s it?” Caroline whined, then demanded an answer. “What do you have to say about Darcy? Has he asked you to date him?”
Liz was enraged and confused at the same time. She swiveled back toward Caroline. “Only that,” Liz started slowly, trying to calm herself as she spoke, “if Darcy is not interested in me, then why are you here?”
Caroline didn’t answer her questions. “He’s not interested in you, I assure you.”
Liz was ready to throw Caroline out of her office. “Please leave.”
“And are you romantically involved?” Caroline stood. “I’m going to have to tell the board if you are.”
And here was the point where Liz was done with Caroline. Liz no longer cared who she was related to. Liz no longer cared about being a good employee. Liz stood, too, looking up at the lean woman whose legs were up to Liz’s ribcage.
Liz paused. There was nothing going on between her and Darcy, but she realized for the first time that she wished there was. She wanted to be with someone like him: devoted and generous, the only two qualities that really mattered in a partner. Plus, he completely devastated her in a suit.
“Are you?” Caroline demanded.
“No,” Liz walked toward the office door and opened it. “Get out.” She vowed to herself that the next time she saw Caroline, she would have security on standby.
After Caroline left, Hilda peeked her head inside the office. “Are you sure you don’t need anything? I can make you a pie?”
