“Yeah, she couldn’t stop talking about Charlie last night. They are disgustingly adorable together.”
“What does he do?” Charlotte asked.
“He works for an earthquake warning company. They’re putting sensors in Meryton. Government contract. I’m not sure how long that takes, but I doubt he’ll stick around when the job’s done. I wouldn’t.”
“Poor Jane. She wouldn’t be brave enough to follow him, even if he asked.”
They watched Charlie whirl her around and then pull her close, whispering in her ear. “I don’t know,” Elsie said, tilting her head. “I’ve never seen her like this. But I’d sure miss her. None of my other sisters are exactly roommate material.”
As if to prove her point, Lydia ran by, knocking into Elsie’s elbow. Soda spilled down Elsie’s front.
“Now I really am leaving.”
“Ah, man.” Charlotte sighed. “I don’t want to stand here by myself.”
“I’ll be back,” Elsie promised. “I haven’t seen my mom yet, and I have to prove I came.” She dropped the soda can in a nearby garbage and threaded her way through a group of teenage girls with a terrible case of the giggles. She followed their gaze to a glaring guy, sitting alone on a park bench. The rude customer from Tuesday night? Was it actually him? He turned to look at her and confirmed it. She’d recognize that scowl anywhere.
“Ask him to dance,” one of the girls whispered.
“No way,” her friend whispered back, giggling. “He’s, like, super old.”
“And super yummy.”
“But he’s so grumpy.”
“I’ll cheer him up,” another one said with a grin.
“Give it up, girls,” Elsie said, not bothering to lower her voice. “He’s as grumpy as he looks. And super old, like you said.”
‘I-Throw-Fits’ lifted his chin and leaned back on the bench. “Look who’s talking. Are these your coworkers from The Pizza Palace? They look about the right age to work there.”
“Oooh!” The girls laughed and glanced at Elsie, waiting for her to zing him back. Nothing at the party was remotely as exciting as this.
“What’s your name again? Fitzgerald? Fritz? How did your pizza party turn out?”
He stood up and walked over, using his full height to look down on her. “The pizza was bland. You have a little something on your shirt.”
Elsie glanced down at the wet spot in the middle of her grey T-shirt and groaned. Seeing Mr. No-Personality had made her completely forget about the soda.
He smirked and walked past her. “Nice to see you again.”
***
Will watched her go through the front door of a little gray house across from the park. She was completely not his type. A small town girl with a dead-end job, too mouthy for her own good. And yet there was something about her that got his blood pumping. Maybe it was just the adrenaline of a good verbal spar, but he liked the spark in her eyes when she stared back at him, matching his glare. And he liked her dark hair, pulled back in a loose braid hanging over one shoulder. Like a warrior princess.
She came out of the house a few minutes later wearing a different shirt, and he tried not to stare as she jogged back to the party, throwing a few skips in before rushing up to Dr. Lucas’s daughter, Charlotte. They linked arms and chatted to each other. He realized she was the one Dr. Lucas had attempted to wave over to him earlier. A Bennet girl. It took him a minute to dredge up the name. Elsie. Elsie Bennet.
What would she do if he arranged an ambush with Dr. Lucas? It might be another hour before he could drag Charlie out of here. Might as well have a little fun.
He spotted Dr. Lucas and went over to ask for an introduction to Elsie Bennet. Dr. Lucas’s face lit up and he immediately led Will over to where Elsie and Charlotte were standing.
Elsie’s eyes widened at the sight of him, and she whispered something to Charlotte before putting on a polite face for Dr. Lucas.
“Elsie, dear. This nice young man asked to be introduced. Will Darcy, this is Elsie Bennet, a good friend of my Charlotte.”
“Nice to meet you.” She stared up at him, the tone of her voice conveying how much she didn’t mean the words.
“Would you like to dance?” Will pressed.
