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Chapter 7
January 1999
"I wish everybody
would quit fussing over me," complained Gina Darcy from
her East Jefferson Hospital bed.
"No way, sugar
pie," said her father. He was seated in a chair next to
the bed, patting her hand. "You just heal up so we can take
you home."
"But you missed
all the bowl games! That's no fun!" She had her new Riptide
beanie grasped firmly in one hand.
"We'll get
over it," said Will, standing at the foot of the bed.
Just then, a lovely
blond nurse came into the private room. "And how are you
feeling, Miss Gina?"
"Okay - my
side still aches a bit, Nurse Jane."
She nodded, and
after remarking about her gift, took Gina's temperature and blood
pressure. "All your vitals are fine."
"When will
she be discharged, Nurse?" asked Mr. Darcy.
"That's up
to the surgeon, but I wouldn't be surprised if she left us tomorrow."
George Darcy nodded.
"I want to thank you and the entire staff for taking care
of my little girl, Nurse… Boudreaux." He looked at
her name tag.
She gave a radiant
smile. "It's been a pleasure, Mr. Darcy."
William stared at
her. "Excuse me, but you look familiar. Are you related
to the Boudreauxes from Chackbay?"
"I'm from Chackbay."
"Really? Do
you know Elizabeth Boudreaux?"
"She's my sister."
"Small world.
I know your sister. My name's Will Darcy. I go to Tulane."
"Jane Boudreaux,
senior nursing student from SLU. Nice to meet you, Will. Are
you one of the AIs Lizzy's made friends with?"
"Sure am. You
have a very nice sister."
"Thank you,
Will."
"SLU - that's
up in Hammond," observed Mr. Darcy. "How do you find
the commute from across the lake, Miss Boudreaux?"
"You get used
to it, Mr. Darcy." She looked at her patient. "Gina
tells me you flew back from Memphis two nights ago. I hope you
saw the game."
"We did, and
we enjoyed it," Mr. Darcy assured her.
"Lizzy told
me she had a lot of fun."
"A friend and
I drove Lizzy and her roommate to the game," Will felt compelled
to say.
"Really? It
is a small world." She checked her watch. "I'm sorry,
but I have to complete my rounds. I'll tell Lizzy I met you,
Will. And I'll see you later, Miss Gina." With that she
left the room.
"Isn't she
just an angel, Daddy?" observed Gina.
George Darcy nodded,
but his attention was on his son, a small smile on his lips.
So the brunette has a name - Elizabeth Boudreaux.
~*~*~
Later, as the two
men drove along Airline Highway towards Pemberley Plantation,
Mr. Darcy turned to his son. "Will, tell me about Elizabeth
Boudreaux."
"What?"
Will was about to sputter, overcoming his surprise at the question.
"What do you mean? Why are you asking about her?"
George Darcy laughed.
"Son, I wiped your bottom when you were still crapping in
your diaper. I know you. I saw your expression when you were
talking about Elizabeth to her sister."
"I… I
don't know what you mean."
"She was the
brunette sitting next to you at the game, right?"
"Yeah."
"You're interested
in her, aren't you?"
"Dad! No! I
mean… Look, Dad, Lizzy's a nice, pretty, smart girl. But
she's a sophomore, for cryin' out loud!"
"So? Is she
immature?"
"No, I wouldn't
say that, but there's four or five years difference in our ages."
"Son, your
mother was six years younger than me."
"That's different."
George Darcy was
quiet for a moment. "Son, when was the last time you went
on a date?"
"I don't know…Dad!
I'm okay. I've just hit a dry spell, is all."
"Son, don't
kid a kidder. I know what you went through in the last few years.
I saw the kind of girls that chased you. Take Chuck Bingley's
sister… Cassie, Carol…"
"Carrie."
"That's it
- Carrie. I don't blame you for being off dating, if those girls
were like that one. After what you own instead of who
you are. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater."
He sighed. "Will, you're only young once. Enjoy yourself.
I'm not asking you to get married, mind you…"
"Thanks."
"…but
how are you going find a girl who you might marry some day if
you don't date? Take a nice girl to a movie. It won't kill you.
And you might find out that you don't know as much about people
as you think you do."
Will looked at his
father. "You think I'm like that - judgmental?"
"You can be,
Son, when you're not careful. Remember what I taught you - let
people prove themselves first. Give 'em a chance."
"I try, Dad."
"I'm proud
of you, Will. You have all the makings of being a good man. That's
all we can ask of ourselves in the world. That, and enjoying
yourself. Life is short. Don't waste it."
~*~*~
A week after the
girls returned from Jackson, the dorm room phone rang. Mari answered,
"Hello?"
"Hi, er…is
Elizabeth there?"
"Sure, I'll-
Will? Is that you?"
There was a pause.
"Yes."
"Hey there,
good-looking! How was the plane ride back?"
"It was
good. May I speak to Elizabeth, please?"
Lizzy looked up
from her bed. "Is that Will Darcy on the phone?"
Mari nodded as she
continued to talk on the phone, "Sure - hang on." She
held out the phone to Lizzy. "It's for you."
"Why?"
Mari covered the
receiver with her hand. "I don't know. Wait! Maybe he wants
to ask you out!"
"Yeah, right."
Lizzy took the phone. "Hello, Will?"
"Hi, Elizabeth.
Did you have a good visit at Mari's house?"
"Yes."
"And you
had no problems coming back?"
Lizzy was befuddled.
"Nope. We're alive, as you can tell."
"Good, good.
Look, Lizzy, would you, umm… would you like to go catch
a movie sometime?"
Lizzy was shocked
speechless for a moment. "A movie? You're asking me to a
movie?"
"Yeah, a
movie. Right."
Mari was jumping
up and down. "I told you!" she cried in a stage whisper.
Lizzy waved her
hand in an effort to stop her roommate's demonstration. "Darcy
- are you asking me on a date?"
"Well, a
movie-style date, yeah. I guess I am. Do you want to?"
"I… suppose…
so." She looked with wide eyes at Mari, who was grinning
for all she was worth.
"Good, good.
When?"
"When what?"
"When do
you want to go? To the movie?"
"Umm…
whenever."
"How about
this Saturday?"
"Saturday?
Uhh…sure."
"Okay, good.
Anything you want to see?"
Before she could
answer, Mari snatched the phone away. "Will! John and I
are going to a movie this Saturday, too. Wanna double up?"
"Mari? Yeah,
I guess so, if that's what Lizzy wants to do."
Mari put her hand
on the receiver again. "Come on, Lizzy! You and Will come
with us. It'll be fun!"
Lizzy felt that
things were spinning completely out of control. "All right,
if that's okay with Will."
Mari put the phone
back to her face. "Lizzy said yes! We're going to the seven
o'clock show at the Prytania. Here's Lizzy again!" She shoved
the phone into Lizzy's hands. "And tell him we'll grab pizza
afterwards!"
"Will, did
you hear that?"
"Yeah, it
looks like the Prytania at seven on Saturday and pizza afterwards.
That sounds okay to you?"
"Fine,"
she replied with a voice half an octave too high.
"I'll get
with John as to when we pick y'all up. Thank you, Lizzy. It'll
be fun."
"Right. See
you then."
"Bye." Lizzy hung up the phone.
Mari was grinning
like a fool. "I knew it! I knew he liked you!"
"How long have
you thought that?"
"Since the
first night at the AI house."
"What - since
September? Why?"
"'Cause of
the way he looks at you."
"Yeah, right.
He's just waiting for me to make a white-trash fool out of myself."
"Lizzy, that's
unfair! Why would he ask you out if he dislikes you?"
Lizzy glanced at
the Riptide beanie on her dresser. "I don't know. I'm sorry,
I guess you're right. I'm surprised, that's all. I had no clue."
"Sheesh, you're
the only one!"
"What do you
mean?"
"Emma and I
have been waiting for ages for Will to ask you out."
"No way."
"Way. It's
obvious, the way his eyes follow you around a room. He likes
you, Lizzy."
"Then why hasn't
he said anything before now?"
"Don't know.
Why don't you ask him?"
"Yeah, right.
I can just see it." Lizzy batted her eyes and in a sing-song
voice, said, "'Will, why haven't you told me before now
how much you wanna jump my bones? How have you resisted my loveliness
for so long?'"
Mari frowned. "Lizzy,
you can be mean sometimes." Before the opened-mouth Elizabeth
could respond, Mari continued. "Just be nice to him on Saturday,
huh?"
Lizzy tried to respond,
then stopped herself. I'm scared of him! He's…he's Darcy!
He's gorgeous, rich, smart and popular. His family owns half
of St. Charles Parish. I'm just a little girl from the swamps.
Darcy's DGS could buy and sell Daddy's company and not miss a
beat. I'm scared of getting my hopes up, thinking we could be
something good, just before he dumps me for someone prettier,
smarter and richer! But she couldn't admit that to Mari.
"I'll be good,
I promise."
~*~*~
"What was that
all about?" asked Chris as Will hung up the phone.
"Nothing. Just
setting up a date for Saturday night."
"With who?"
"Elizabeth
Boudreaux."
"Lizzy? The
'she's too young for me' Lizzy Boudreaux?"
Will crimsoned.
"Yeah. That was a little stupid of me, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, just
as stupid as that note you left me in Memphis. Why didn't you
tell me Gina was sick?"
"Well, I did
- I left you a message on your cell."
"Which I didn't
get until I got home."
"Not my fault
you forgot your charger."
"You could've
put that in your note."
"Sorry, we
were in a hurry. Brain wasn't working, I guess."
"No, it's that
privacy fetish you've got, buddy. You know everybody else's business,
but you don't tell anybody yours."
"That's not…
altogether true."
"Uh huh, and
why didn't I know about your birthday until three months after
the fact, when we were first rooming on campus?"
Will shrugged. "Didn't
need a gift, I guess."
Chris shook his
head. "That's gonna get you in trouble one of these days,
partner."
Will gave him a
serious look. "I'd love for you to continue your diagnosis
of my psychological state, Dr. Breaux, but I gotta call John
Waguespack to coordinate Saturday night," he said as he
reached for the student directory.
~*~*~
"Okay, Will,
see you Saturday," John said as he hung up.
"Who was that?"
asked Greg Wickham, who sat sprawled on the couch, nursing a
beer.
"Will Darcy.
Mari arranged a movie double-date on Saturday."
Greg took a swig.
"Double-date with who?"
"Her roommate
- Lizzy." John took a pull from his own beer.
"Gonna cramp
your style, going to the show with another couple."
"Yeah, I had
other plans." John meant to bring Mari back to his apartment,
and roommates weren't invited.
"JW, I gotta
use your place on Saturday. I'm gonna meet with a new customer,
an' I don't wanna have to come all the way across the river beforehand."
He looked at John. "That is, if it's all right with you."
The light tone in his voice was betrayed by the hard glint in
his eye.
Shit! There goes
that chance to score with Mari!
"Umm… sure thing, Greg. No problem."
"Thanks, dude.
When does Bertram get outta Greenleaves?"
"Next weekend."
"He's movin'
back in?"
"Yeah. He's
gonna get a job this semester and register for the fall term."
Thank God. I need the rent money. And I'm getting a little
tired of Greg hanging around here all the time.
"I don't like
it. Can't trust a guy who's gone straight. Why don't you run
him off?"
"What? Greg,
I need the rent money!"
"So? You can
get that from me, runnin' errands."
Terror flooded John's
belly, but he hid it well. "Greg, I can't… my classes.
I can't run errands and go to class. Might flunk out." He
could see Greg considering his words. "So with Tommy here,
I can keep this place and go to class."
There was a long
pause. John tried to keep from sweating.
"Okay,"
Greg said as he took another sip of his beer. "Got any Doritos?"
John started breathing
again. "Yeah, let me go grab a bag."
~*~*~
"This is a
bad-ass car, Darcy," exclaimed John as they rode in William's
BMW on an early Saturday evening from John's apartment to Loyola,
listening to Van Halen.
"Thanks, John."
"But your choice
of radio is lame!" John reached over and switched the station
from Classic Rock WRNO to an alternative station. Nirvana came
pouring out of the speakers. "Now, that's what I'm talkin'
about!"
Will gritted his
teeth. The only thing he hated more than someone touching his
radio was grunge rock. Behave yourself, William, he chanted silently
to himself. Don't get the girls upset. Be a man, you can take
it.
Before long, the
two men were walking into the lobby of the girls' dorm. Mari
and Lizzy were waiting for them beside some couches. Mari had
on the same heavy coat she had worn to Memphis over her t-shirt
and jeans. Will almost stopped dead in his tracks as he beheld
Lizzy. Her green turtleneck sweater was perfect against the complexion
of her skin and it set off her eyes, while her curls framed her
face. Dark jeans and boots gave her a sophisticated yet casual
look. Her clothes did not hide her figure; they set it off, causing
her admirer to catch his breath.
Lizzy was unaware
of the effect she was having on Will's blood pressure. She saw
no admiration in his serious dark look. She, however, was not
surprised at his appearance. Will was head to toe in black -
cashmere turtleneck, slacks and polished shoes. She found him
gorgeous, and her nervousness returned.
"Hi, baby,"
Mari kissed John, then turned to the others. "Ready to go?"
Will could think
of nothing to say, except, "Sure, the car's waiting up front."
He waved his hand. "After you."
~*~*~
Two hours later,
the two couples exited the Prytania Theater, another landmark
in Uptown. Known for its patronage of art films and foreign language
movies, it showed the occasional popular film, including tonight's
feature, "You've Got Mail."
"Well, what
did you think? I liked it." asked an animated Lizzy. Watching
the Tom Hanks - Meg Ryan romantic comedy had restored her usual
exuberance.
"That was great!"
Mari was arm-in-arm with John. "It was so romantic!"
I'm surprised
you saw any of it, thought
Will, the way you and John were making out.
"Good chick
flick," judged John.
"What about
you, Darcy?"
"Umm…
the acting was good…" he began.
"What - didn't
you like it?"
He shrugged. "We
could've rented 'Sleepless in Seattle' - it was basically the
same movie."
The girls loudly
proclaimed that Darcy was SO wrong, and began listing the differences.
"All right,
all right, I give up!" Will laughed. "I bow to your
superior knowledge of romantic comedies!"
"Good choice,
Will," said John.
A few minutes later,
the four were seated in a booth at a local pizza joint. New Orleans
was not renowned for its pizza, but this place claimed it served
"authentic New York style pizza," and its popularity
with the college crowd spoke well for the product it dished out.
Large pepperoni and vegetarian pies were ordered, along with
a pitcher of beer.
"I didn't figure
you for a veggie eater, Darcy," remarked Lizzy. "I
would have pegged you for a meat-lover's kind of guy."
"Now why would
you think that, Boudreaux?" The two hours in the dark theater
had restored their usual banter.
"You're such
a manly-man," she teased. "I'll bet you used to throw
away your green beans when you were little."
"I did,"
he grinned, his dimples warming his companion, "until I
learned how good they taste. You know Cajuns, Lizzy - they'll
eat anything." He wagged his eyebrows.
"Oh, gross!
I haven't eaten yet!" said Mari in a mock disgusted voice.
"Sorry."
Will turned to Lizzy. "I tried a veggie pizza a couple of
years back and liked it. Don't worry, I can still put away my
share of pepperoni."
"No! You can't
touch my pepperoni! It's mine," cried Mari.
"You're gonna
eat a whole large one?" asked John. "What about me?"
"You should
have ordered one for yourself…No! Stop! Hahaha… STOP
TICKLING ME!"
"You asked
for it!" John responded as he continued his assault.
Lizzy was amused
until she turned to her companion. Will, embarrassed by the exhibition,
was turned away. Oh, lighten up, Darcy! she thought crossly.
Soon, the tickling
was done and the pizzas were served. The rest of the evening
passed with eating good pizza and sharing light conversation.
It was to be an early night, as Mari was leaving the next day
with the Loyola Choir on a ten-day tour. Lizzy and Will walked
into the dorm lobby, giving some privacy to the other couple.
Mari and John took
advantage of it, immediately engaging in a passionate embrace.
Hands and lips were everywhere, and both thought they were going
to explode.
"God, I want
you so bad," growled John.
"You can't…
you can't come up - Lizzy," panted Mari.
"C'mon back
to my crib, baby."
"You said Greg
was there…"
John was desperate.
"Fuck Greg - I'll throw him out."
"Oh, baby…
I can't… I gotta get ready to leave…"
John kissed her
passionately. "Don't leave me like this!"
"John, don't
make this harder than it is…"
John looked at her,
and then broke up laughing. It took a moment for Mari to catch
her double entendre, but when she did, she laughed with him.
Meanwhile, Will
and Lizzy were standing next to the couches in the lobby, waiting
for the others. Lizzy couldn't decide what to do with her hands,
and Will was nervous. Finally he blurted, "What's taking
them so long?"
Lizzy looked at
him in wonder. "What do you think?"
Will chuckled. "Probably
finishing what they started in the theater."
"Darcy!"
She playfully slapped his shoulder.
"C'mon! Do
you think they saw any of the movie?"
Lizzy giggled. "Probably
not. But then, I'll just rent 'Sleepless in Seattle' for them
so they can see what they missed." Her eyebrow was raised.
"Ooo…
good one, Boudreaux."
"Well, thank
you, kind sir."
Will grinned. "Did
you enjoy yourself tonight, Lizzy?"
"Yeah,"
Lizzy responded, not hiding the slight surprise in her voice.
"It was fun."
"Yeah, it was.
Maybe we'll do it again - next time without the chaperons."
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
A slow smile appeared
on Lizzy's face. "I think that would be nice."
Will took Lizzy's
hand. "I guess I ought to say good night, Lizzy."
"Good night,
Will. Thank you for a lovely evening." She saw Will lean
in, so she offered her cheek. Just before he made contact, she
heard the front door open. Instinctually, she turned towards
the noise, which put her mouth right in Will's path. Neither
knew what surprised them more - the kiss or the electric shock
both felt as their lips collided.
Will jumped back,
muttering apologies.
"It's…
it's all right, Will…" Lizzy managed. He was still
holding her hand.
Will looked at her
and then slowly raised her hand to his lips. Placing a soft kiss
on the back of her hand, he said, "I'll call, okay?"
Lizzy nodded. Will
released her hand, and the magic spell was broken.
Will nodded once
and turned towards the lobby door. Just has he reached it, Mari
came through, distracted and rumpled. Will said good-bye to her,
threw one last look at Elizabeth, and left.
Mari stabbed the
elevator button. "I've got packing to do, roomie,"
she mumbled.
"Yeah, sure…"
said Lizzy, one eye on the lobby door.
Outside, Will found
John leaning against the BMW, obviously in a frustrated mood.
They climbed in and drove off into the night, both men thinking
about their dates.
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