Searching for Mr. Darcy

Scene Forty

The first message to come through on Maisie's phone when the plane landed at RDU was from Bastian.

Hate to do this, but I have to cancel our date tomorrow. Something's come up at work. Text me when you're back in town and we'll reschedule.

She was disappointed, but not devastated, and felt pretty proud of herself for not immediately thinking the worst of him. She showed the text to Talia, who pointedly clicked her tongue, but said nothing.

"He's a doctor," Maisie said. "I'm lucky nothing has come up before now to cause him to cancel."

"I didn't say anything."

****

Dash wood was both delighted at Maisie's return and angry with her for leaving him for two days, judging by his begging to be picked up and then immediate scramble to get away. Maisie refilled his food and water dishes, then cleaned the litter box before tackling her suitcase and starting a load of laundry. Coming home from a trip always made household tasks feel so aggressively normal. She hated it.

"I need more adventure in my life, Dash," she said, ignoring his ignoring of her and picking him up off the kitchen counter.

A few minutes later, some adventure burst through her door: Talia, red-faced, carrying the same suitcase she'd taken on their trip.

"They were having sex in my bed!" Talia growled, dropping her bag on the living room floor. "My crazy roommate and her awful boyfriend were having sex on my bed. I walked in on them. They had to have known I was coming home today. Ugh! I feel like I need to bleach my eyeballs to get the sight of his pasty, pimply ass out of my brain.

Maisie grabbed a bottle of vodka out of her freezer and two shot glasses of the cabinet. "Shit."

"Shit doesn't even begin to cover it. Those were Egyptian cotton sheets. I'm going to have to burn them."

"Make her buy them from you."

"She has no money. Ha! Jokes on her, though. I'm moving out and she and Pimple-Ass can figure out how to cover the rent. It's her name on the lease."

"Your name isn't on the lease?"

Talia shook her head. "No, I took over the room from her last roommate and I never put my name on it with the office. Too much hassle."

"Sounds like you know you'd need an out."

Talia shrugged. "Maybe I knew she was crazy when I moved in. I can't remember. I can only remember my rage."

"Where are you going to live now?" Maisie asked. She poured each of them a shot. Talia downed hers and looked coyly to the spare room, where Maisie had a desk and tons of bookshelves set up.

"Oh no! You can't. We've talked about this."

Talia scooted around the kitchen island and clasped her hands together. "Please! Please, please, pretty please! I'll be the best roommate you've ever had, I promise. I'll be your wing woman and help you get laid whenever you want." She nudged Maisie with her elbow.

Of course, the begging worked. Maisie knew if she needed a place to stay, Talia would move heaven and Earth to help her. Why had her initial reaction been so selfish and shitty?

"I'm sorry. Yes, of course you can stay here."

Talia squealed and hugged Maisie hard. "Thank you, thank you! I promise you won't regret it."

"Just remember that sometimes I need time to myself and a little quiet."

"I promise." Talia grabbed the bottle of vodka out of Maisie's hand. "And now we celebrate!" She took a swing straight from the bottle and then refilled both shot glasses. Maisie downed hers, wondering how long it would take for Talia to take over everything.