Searching for Mr. Darcy

Scene Forty-Seven

Talia went in search of a bathroom, to let Maisie get the first awkward meeting over with before adding a new introduction to the mix.  Maisie straightened her shoulders and kept her chin up as she walked back into the kitchen.  She said hellos to those she knew, hugging a friend here and there and casually fixing herself a plate of munchies so that when she reached the end of the island and Marcus, she wouldn't look like she had bee-lined straight to him.

Ugh, she thought.  I'm one of those game-playing women now.  But everyone plays games when it comes to love, she rationalized.  And it wasn't a game really, not wanting to look too eager.  The over analyzation actually helped and she was able to approach him with something akin to calm.

"Maisie!" he said as she opened her mouth to say hello.  "Oh my God.  It's been so long.  How are you?"

"I'm good.  Wow.  It's so weird to see you.  I mean, it's good to see you.  How've you been?"

"Great.  Just moved back here last year."

The young woman he'd been talking to excused herself and Maisie moved closer.  She wanted to initiate a hug, but he hadn't moved, so she decided against it.

"Were you in California all that time?" she asked.

"No, I moved to Portland right after college, then to Santa Fe with my wife."

Maisie's heart sank a little bit.  Of course he was married.  Why wouldn't he be?  He was smart, funny, and handsome.

"After the divorce last year, I thought it best to get out of there, and my parents have been begging me to move back for years, so here I am."

Her heart lifted.  He was single.  Or, at least not married anymore.  She knew she shouldn't be happy about anyone's divorce or failed relationship, but she was only human.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Me? I stayed in this area after college.  I figured the easiest way to see less of my mother would be to live within driving distance.  If I had moved out of state, she'd be constantly visiting and disapproving.  Now, she just disapproves."

Marcus laughed.  "What does she disapprove?"

"Oh, everything - my job, my apartment, my cat, my looks, my love life."

"Your looks?"  Marcus laughed again.  "You're just as beautiful as ever - how can she disapprove of anything about how you look?"

Maisie fell a little back in love with Marcus in that moment.  Luckily, Talia suddenly appeared and stopped her from saying anything crazy.  Instead, she made introductions and hinted to Talia that she should probably make herself a plate before all the food was gone.  Talia wisely took it and disappeared among the other guests, making new friends as she sent, as only Talia could.

"I hear the back porch has a pretty view - you want to check it out?" Marcus asked.

"Sure!" Maisie poured herself a glass of wine, while Marcus grabbed a beer, then they made their way to the back porch.  Apparently no one else had heard of the view because it was empty.  They took seats on the white rocking chairs facing the backyard and admired the garden.

"I guess Terence moved in a few months ago and got everything ready for Clay," Marcus said, gesturing to the hanging lamps above their heads and the twinkle-light adorned trees illuminating the flowers in the yard.

"That explains a lot."

Marcus tilted his head, eyeing her with gentle intensity.  "I don't know why, but I didn't expect to see you here."

"I didn't expect to see you, either."

"I should have, though.  You and Clay were always so close.  I was jealous."

She felt her cheeks burn at this admission.  "You probably haven't thought about me in a long time.  Why would you think about me being here, tonight?"

"So you haven't thought about me over the years?"

"I didn't say that."

He sipped his beer.  Maisie stood and went to the railing overlooking the garden.  She had thought about him - the one that got away.  She hadn't thought about him the past couple of years, though, because there hadn't been anyone worth comparing him to.

"I wondered what happened to you," she began slowly.  "The last time we saw each other-"

"Christmas, sophomore year."

"You were arguing with your mom about what to buy your dad for Christmas."

"I remember - you suggested we get him a Wii because your boyfriend's father really liked it."

She nodded.  "When I said it, I immediately regretted it."

He cocked his head to the side again.  "Why?  We did get it - he loved it."

"Because I didn't want you to know I had a boyfriend.  I've thought about that so many times.  That maybe I closed the door on us for good with that simple, innocent sentence."

He stood and joined her at the railings.  " I was dating someone, too, at that time."

"Yeah? Well, you didn't say anything."

He grinned a little sheepishly.  "I didn't want you to know."

"And now?" she asked.

"Am I single?"

She nodded.

He nodded.  "You?"

"Yep."

"Can we get dinner sometime?"

She nodded.