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She thought of him occasionally.
When her apartment was silent and the sound of traffic on the street was the filtering through the window. At silly moments, when investors brought up her videos at brand meetings or Lydia got overly excited.
She'd hear the inflection in his voice when he announced himself to a room or feel residual heat picturing his hands brushing across her skin. It had been to long for that burn to still remain so she brushed it aside and pulled something monotonous into her head, forgetting about him until next time around. Although, thinking about bathroom tiles can only last so long.
She's at a convention in London when she see's him for the first time in 2 years. It's a miracle they haven't met sooner, being in the same business, and both doing well, they have several mutual contacts, attending the same reasonably small multimedia event she isn’t shocking and doesn't know why she didn't expect it.
She stands by the registration desk, deafly nodding to whatever the guy handing her a schedule and pass is saying. It’s all the same anyway. She nods and she thanks him politely before he's finished and steps as casually as she can behind a display based on different advertising methods.
The irony on trying hide behind it isn't lost on her.
She watches him. He's dressed in a button down shirt; it's light blue and matches his navy pants perfectly. She can only assume he has a tie wrapped around his neck, those ties always did...something for her and she hasn't forgotten the way they fall across his broad chest.
He picks up a brochure and she watches the muscles in his back ripple and shift, and she remembers the same arm drifting across her back, comforting her after Charlotte’s call.
Lydia was in trouble. She had to leave. He had arranged everything for her and handed her into the car waiting sending her off.
That was the last time she'd seen him face to face and now he was here and she was attempting to blend, unsuccessfully, into the back of this display.
He began to move away from the table, lifting his head up to look at the rest of room. Eyes scanning the room methodically, display by display, she lost him behind a group working their way through the center of the aisle catching glimpses of his brown hair every so often intercut with other heads.
Lizzie steeled herself. She was a mature adult now. She had her own business and apartment. She didn't live at home anymore. She could do this, approach a old acquaintance...because that's all they'd ever been officially. Acquaintances (despite Lydia, charlottes and occasionally Jane's comments of something more).
Maybe once.
If she hadn't been so set on her first opinion, but reality is harsh as it reminds her nothing ever came of it. Nothing happened.
She flattened her skirt and pulled at her jumper stepping surreptitiously away from her observation post.
As Lizzie stepped closer, she saw him drift left towards a different display. Following his path she sidled up to him along the tables, pretending to glance at a hopefuls pamphlet, unsure of how to approach him. Darcy seemed so absorbed in a pamphlet on convergence culture that he didn't notice Lizzie; she waited a second before placing a hand gently on his shoulder saying his name clearly
"Darcy"
His back straightened and contracted quickly as he stood up, as he turned Lizzie withdrew her hand looking up at him.
His face retained that neutral expression she had expected, but his eyes were widened slightly and his forehead creased. She could only assume he was shocked by her approach. She smiled gently at his expression.
"Hey"
He regained what little composure he had lost due to shock, before responding.
"Hello Lizzie. I'm surprised to see you here."
She recognized the tone, not as condescension as she might have once thought, but as confusion. She nodded
"This is the first year I've been invited. I seem to have finally made the elite in transmedia!" She joked, pulling a smile.
"Yes. I've noticed your company's expansion recently. Even if you are one of my competitors, congratulations are in order" she thanked him as gracefully as she could.
" I'm hardly a competitor though" she laughed, "Domino's launch...it was phenomenal. Well done" they locked eyes for a beat before he nodded a attempted smile behind his features.
"Yes, I suppose, thank you"
They had had up kept the traditional greetings for business competitors and two distantly connected people. Yet, Lizzie couldn't leave it there.
"How are you? I haven't seen you in a few years. Has much changed?" She couldn't help it, the words were literally falling out of her mouth. So much for being a consummate professional.
"I'm well thank you. No, apart from the launch of domino there have been no major changes in Pemberley." He paused and Lizzie nodded acknowledging his words. "Gigi graduated from school" his mouth twitched a little at the words smiling, obviously proud.
"I heard! Well, rather I saw her tweet." Lizzie ha stayed in touch with Gigi mildly, she enjoyed the girls company and had spent many enjoyable nights with her so staying in touch was only natural, they occasionally chatted on the phone but mainly followed each others lives’ on twitters, they were both busy making a name for themselves.
There was a slightly awkward pause, as neither knew what to say. Lizzie wound one arm around herself self consciously searching for something to say, but Darcy uncharacteristically stepped in.
"Would you care to accompany me around the displays? If it’s your first time I can show you around?" He pulled his chin into his chest.
Lizzie smiled and dropped her arm back to her side.
"I'd love to. Have you seen a display on the influence of blogging on the stock market?"
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"NO! I had no idea! Honestly!" Lizzie exclaimed "and by the time I worked out that you weren't insulting me and actually you made some good points, it was to late"
Darcy looked at his glass. They had both had a fair share of alcohol and it was now late in the evening and the bar was practically empty. Wandering around the conference they had spoken about various topics; media, family, travel, ideals. Now sitting in the bar the light had gradually faded from a gentle sunset the artificial glow of streetlight and trails of lights from cars. The two had hardly remarked on the view before conversation had started up again until darkness engulfed the city.
"I know. However I was nervous, and you miss Bennett hardly gave me a chance" Lizzie had enough self-consciousness left to look guilty. She took a gulp and finished her drink. They'd both lost count after the second bottle of wine.
"No. It's true. But that changed at Pemberley" She said shyly looking up at him through her lashes. "If I hadn't had to leave early who knows..."
"Who knows?” he repeated, trailing the lines of her legs as she crossed them in a ladylike manner.
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Finding herself pressed up against Darcy’s hotel room door, however, was very unladylike.
Her skirt was pulled up to the top of her thigh her cardigan and top had been striped a second earlier and she doubted the knots in her hair would ever come out.
All thoughts got shoved to some dark corner of her brain as she arched her back pushing closer to Darcy, his hands were gripping her thighs supporting her as she wrapped every available limb around him. Her legs were around his hips, locked at the ankle keeping him with her. Her hands and arms were somewhere behind his head ranging from gripping his hair and scraping her nails across his scalp, to roaming across his back with vigor.
He kissed with the passion apparently pent up for far to long because it had taken them 5 minutes to go from a fully clothed goodnight kiss to their current disheveled state against a door. He had worked his mouth across hers bringing his hands down to rest on her waist and she had responded wantonly bringing him closer.
They had somehow made it down the corridor to his room, smashing into walls and doors on the way. They had separated briefly while he opened the door while she worked on the spot just below Darcy’s ear as she stood in between his arms. When the door had finally opened he had wasted no time picking her up, shutting the door, turning, then stopping at the entrance.
With Lizzie’s mouth now sucking slightly as she moved down his neck the tension in the room was growing once she reached his pulse point she felt the grip on her thighs tighten and he thrust against her. She gasped at the sensation and threw out the only two word she could think about "bed. Now" he complied pulling her away from the wall and heading further into the hotel room.
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Hearing the door to the bathroom click Lizzie rolled over and peaked out of the covers. Darcy was fully dressed apart from a tie that lay undone across his neck. He didn't notice Lizzie awake in bed and carried on placing items neatly in his case until she spoke up.
"We're you planning on leaving" she said sitting up in bed and pulling the sheet with her.
Sounding slightly shocked Darcy cleared his throat an spoke
"My flight leaves soon. I was going to wake you up" he replied turning.
Lizzie nodded and pulled her knees up to her chest her head spinning slightly after the final glass of white wine. She knew Darcy wasn't exactly the one-nightstand type of person and she hoped that what ever happened last night didn't fall under that category. When Lizzie didn't speak Darcy pulled his chin in and cleared his throat slightly.
"I ordered some breakfast for you. I thought you might be hungry after last night" Lizzie raised both eyebrows and Darcy blushed slightly.
"Do you think you’re that good Mr. Darcy?" She enquired teasingly "but you were right. I am. " His chin relaxed into a slightly more normal position and he turned and zipped up his bag.
"I'm not yet used to your teasing. I thought for a second..."
"Ohh god! No! Last night was...brilliant" a small blush crossed over her face and she distracted herself by watching William do up his tie with overly practiced movements. When he was finished He cleared his throat and moved closer sitting next to Lizzie on the bed.
Reaching out Lizzie touched his tie automatically straightening it. This habit was new. There wasn't exactly much need for tie straightening in a house full of girls and no one she knew wore ties quite as often as Darcy.
"I'm sorry I can't stay longer,” he muttered quietly. She shuffled down the bed slightly to place her hand firmly on his shoulder rubbing his shoulder lightly.
"me too. But I'll call you" she tried to play it cool and calm but Lizzie's heart raced at the thought of his saying no, not to bother, this was nothing more then a accident.
"That would be most welcome Lizzie Bennett" moving in they exchanged soft and gentle kisses. He pecked her one last time before standing, picking up his suitcase and leaving.
Flopping down into bed, throwing her limbs to either side Lizzie thought to herself that she was quite happy with her business trip.
It had been...well brilliant.