Let’s go, Liz!” he replied cheerfully as he headed for the door.
“Gah,” Elizabeth moaned, expressing her view of the world at the moment. Elizabeth Bennet was not a morning person.
Thirty-five minutes later found Elizabeth, Jane, and Charlotte entering a private dining room filled with large round tables and a buffet to one side. Elizabeth made a beeline for the coffee and found herself next to Caroline, who was refilling her cup.
“Good morning, Lizzy,” she said brightly.
Elizabeth covered a yawn and nodded, reaching for a cup. “Good morning, Caroline.”
Caroline smiled. “You can call me Caro. Everyone else does.” Elizabeth nodded her thanks. Caroline waited for Elizabeth to get her coffee and then walked with her toward the table. “Did you girls have a good time last night?”
Elizabeth wasn’t sure what Caroline meant. At her confused look, Caroline added, “At the show?”
Elizabeth took a big sip of coffee. “Oh yes! Thank you. We had a great time.” Her enthusiasm died when she realized that she had followed Caroline to a table where Darcy was already seated.
Their eyes met for a moment; Elizabeth’s were uncertain, Darcy’s patient, then Alex came up beside her, distracting Elizabeth. “Push over one, Lizzy. I need to talk to Caro,” he said, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. Elizabeth shifted over a seat, finding herself between Jane on one side and Alex on the other.
Elizabeth focused on her coffee before she could face the question of food. She struggled to pull herself together, letting the caffeine banish the fuzziness from her brain and increase her awareness. As she sipped, she let her eyes wander the room, taking attendance. Almost everyone from the tour was there.
“Where are Mr. Collins and Ms. de Bourgh?” Elizabeth asked Alex, as she realized they were missing.
“Gone,” Alex answered easily.
“The studio people don’t have a whole lot to do with the tour, Lizzy,” Caroline explained. “They only come down to observe or if there’s a problem.”
Elizabeth nodded at the explanation and went back to her coffee. She noticed Richard, standing in the doorway kissing the girl from the elevator last night. As she watched, he handed the girl something and she left with a walk that would have done Jane Russell proud. “Who was that?” she asked quietly.
Caroline looked up from her notes and answered briefly, “That’s the flavor.”
“Flavor?”
“Flavor of the Day,” Caroline said with a meaningful look.
“Her name is Lissa,” said Richard in a voice that was loud enough to carry to Elizabeth but not be overheard by the other tables. “And since she is coming to the show tonight, she has moved out of the ‘groupie’ category into ‘short-term relationship,’ thank you.”
Elizabeth was taken aback. Not by the fact that Richard had one-night stands with his fans, she was too experienced in the business for that to faze her, but by the matter-of-fact way he talked about it. “Oh,” she said dumbly.
“Don’t let him get to you, Lizzy; that’s just the way Richard is,” Charles said with a reassuring smile. “He has no shame.”
“And why should I?” Richard asked as he returned with a plate of food and coffee. “If a lady and I wish to have a meaningless physical relationship, and we are both consenting adults, what is the problem with that?”
Darcy seemed to be deliberately ignoring the conversation and focusing on his food, periodically casting surreptitious glances at Elizabeth.
Charles just laughed and shook his head. Elizabeth felt like she was watching a discussion that had been repeated numerous times before. She left the table to get a plate of food. As she returned, Caroline rose and moved to the front of the room.
“Since everyone is finally here,” she flashed a look at Richard, “let’s begin. Last night was good. I was very impressed with LBS.” She looked at the girls. “Nice work, ladies, welcome to the tour.”
“Gah,” Elizabeth moaned, expressing her view of the world at the moment. Elizabeth Bennet was not a morning person.
Thirty-five minutes later found Elizabeth, Jane, and Charlotte entering a private dining room filled with large round tables and a buffet to one side. Elizabeth made a beeline for the coffee and found herself next to Caroline, who was refilling her cup.
“Good morning, Lizzy,” she said brightly.
Elizabeth covered a yawn and nodded, reaching for a cup. “Good morning, Caroline.”
Caroline smiled. “You can call me Caro. Everyone else does.” Elizabeth nodded her thanks. Caroline waited for Elizabeth to get her coffee and then walked with her toward the table. “Did you girls have a good time last night?”
Elizabeth wasn’t sure what Caroline meant. At her confused look, Caroline added, “At the show?”
Elizabeth took a big sip of coffee. “Oh yes! Thank you. We had a great time.” Her enthusiasm died when she realized that she had followed Caroline to a table where Darcy was already seated.
Their eyes met for a moment; Elizabeth’s were uncertain, Darcy’s patient, then Alex came up beside her, distracting Elizabeth. “Push over one, Lizzy. I need to talk to Caro,” he said, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. Elizabeth shifted over a seat, finding herself between Jane on one side and Alex on the other.
Elizabeth focused on her coffee before she could face the question of food. She struggled to pull herself together, letting the caffeine banish the fuzziness from her brain and increase her awareness. As she sipped, she let her eyes wander the room, taking attendance. Almost everyone from the tour was there.
“Where are Mr. Collins and Ms. de Bourgh?” Elizabeth asked Alex, as she realized they were missing.
“Gone,” Alex answered easily.
“The studio people don’t have a whole lot to do with the tour, Lizzy,” Caroline explained. “They only come down to observe or if there’s a problem.”
Elizabeth nodded at the explanation and went back to her coffee. She noticed Richard, standing in the doorway kissing the girl from the elevator last night. As she watched, he handed the girl something and she left with a walk that would have done Jane Russell proud. “Who was that?” she asked quietly.
Caroline looked up from her notes and answered briefly, “That’s the flavor.”
“Flavor?”
“Flavor of the Day,” Caroline said with a meaningful look.
“Her name is Lissa,” said Richard in a voice that was loud enough to carry to Elizabeth but not be overheard by the other tables. “And since she is coming to the show tonight, she has moved out of the ‘groupie’ category into ‘short-term relationship,’ thank you.”
Elizabeth was taken aback. Not by the fact that Richard had one-night stands with his fans, she was too experienced in the business for that to faze her, but by the matter-of-fact way he talked about it. “Oh,” she said dumbly.
“Don’t let him get to you, Lizzy; that’s just the way Richard is,” Charles said with a reassuring smile. “He has no shame.”
“And why should I?” Richard asked as he returned with a plate of food and coffee. “If a lady and I wish to have a meaningless physical relationship, and we are both consenting adults, what is the problem with that?”
Darcy seemed to be deliberately ignoring the conversation and focusing on his food, periodically casting surreptitious glances at Elizabeth.
Charles just laughed and shook his head. Elizabeth felt like she was watching a discussion that had been repeated numerous times before. She left the table to get a plate of food. As she returned, Caroline rose and moved to the front of the room.
“Since everyone is finally here,” she flashed a look at Richard, “let’s begin. Last night was good. I was very impressed with LBS.” She looked at the girls. “Nice work, ladies, welcome to the tour.”
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