Searching for Mr. Darcy

Scene Forty-Four

A grande caramel macchiato waited at Maisie's desk for her when she walked into work the next morning.  A bright pink post-it stuck to the top told her "You're the best!"  She unstuck the note and took a sip of the beverage, then walked around the corner to George's cubicle.

"Thanks," she said, saluting him with the drink.

"You're welcome.  What was going on yesterday?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"There was tension between you and Talia."

"She left her crap in my room without asking.  I think I had a right to call her out on it."

"She had every intention of moving it before you go back from your date - which she had arranged, by the way."

"I know that.  But you don't get it, George.  You don't know Talia like I do.  She's the best person in the world, but she can also be self-absorbed sometimes."

"She can be self-absorbed?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, ever since this Darcy experiment thing or whatever it is, you've been using your friend to find you a boyfriend, and you haven't even said thank you."

"What? I said thank you last night.  I took her, all expenses paid, to New York.  I let her move in with me!" Maisie's voice had gotten louder than she intended.  The heads of their coworkers were peeking over cubicle walls to better observe them.

"What's going on, Frampton?" Mr. Roseberg asked, emerging from his office and staring at her over his own cup of coffee.

"Nothing."  She turned and headed back to her desk, fuming.  George was her friend.  Why was he suddenly taking Talia's side in a fight that wasn't even a fight?  They had resolved everything the night before.

"Did you enjoy your days off?" Roseberg had followed her to her desk and dropped a folder on top of her keyboard.

"Yeah, it was a nice break."  She turned the computer on and waited for her email to open.

"Staff meeting at ten," Roseberg said, making no move to leave.

"Just like every Monday - I'll be there," Maisie responded.  He lingered for a few more seconds, mute, before eventually going back to his office.  As soon as he was out of sight, Maisie opened a chatbox and messaged George.

"What the hell?"

G: "?"

"What was that? Have you and Talia been talking about me behind my back or something?  Is she angry with me because I've been dating?"

G: "No."

"No to what?"

G: "To everything.  We haven't been talking about you. I just think you could be a little grateful to her.  She does a lot for you."

"And I do a lot for her.  That's what friends do."

G: "Ok."

"Why do you care?"

G: "You're my friend.  She's my friend.  Shouldn't I care?"

Maisie didn't respond.

****

After lunch, the chatbox dinged with a new message from George.

G: "Buzzfeed posted the video.  You look good."

Maisie glanced around to make sure Roseberg's door was shut, then grabbed her headphones out of her purse and hooked them up to her computer.  She clicked the link George had provided and pressed 'play' on the video.  The Try Guys short theme played and then Keith introduced her to the viewing audience.  She couldn't tell how she looked - it was so weird watching herself onscreen - and before she could get to the part where the match game began, someone tapped her on her shoulder.  She jumped and hastily pulled the buds out of her ears.

"Taking a little entertainment break on company time?" Roseberg asked.  "Ah.  You're a celebrity now, right.  Have to keep up with all your media, huh?"

Maisie didn't say anything, just x'd out of the video and re-opened the report she'd been working on before the distraction.  Roseberg smugly walked away.  She didn't dare try to watch the video again at work.

The chatbox dinged.  "Sorry," from George.