"I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine." (chapter 5, P&P)

Chapter One- Better Than Disney World

Here is the worst love story in history. Barely romantic and featuring two antagonists that are both so equally flawed, they almost don't even end up together. You might even question if they should have ended up together. But, here it is.

There were more than a trillion things to do today and Elizabeth had only done one. But oh man, she was hungry. Passing by a twenty Starbucks, she craved for a hot chocolate and a scone. Well, maybe something icy. Do they have sandwiches at Starbucks? She thought they did. Or maybe that was another coffee shop. There were a million coffee shops in Philadelphia. Half of them were Starbucks.

She knew. She had probably been to all of them. Gallons of caffeine were used to keep her rolling through six long hour periods with the brattiest kids known to man. She was on her second year of teaching high school and her first year of obtaining her doctorate. This was her first real day off in months and she was filling it with the weight of errands.

She looked into the window of a random coffee shop. There were sandwiches and scones. Hopefully chocolate chip. Already she was drooling. Then some Italian syrups. Yes. Then there was the guy lounging on the little café chair. A man. There were so few true men around. She sighed. He was reading a book. Love in the Time of Cholera. She sighed again. Unrequited love. His hand drifted by the corner of the page, his other hand supported his oh so strong jaw, covered with light stubble. There was something so familiar about him turning that page so gently. And his hair- all dark and…chocolaty. Chocolaty? She was hungry. And now she seemed to be getting desperate. Relationship free since graduation, Elizabeth could now be declared celibate. She rolled her eyes. Now she was fantasying about strangers. She went to get that scone.

She ordered an Italian soda and a scone, of course, a scone. Paying for it, she turned around right into the chest of the man. The cup crushed against him spilling the frothy white soda all over his shirt and his shoes and the floor.

"Oh, no! I am so sorry. Completely sorry. I can't believe I just did that…I wasn't paying attention…I just…I'm sorry?" she finished meekly. Oh no, I just spilled Italian soda on my future husband. Elizabeth! She scolded herself, he is not your future anything, especially now that you spilled soda all over him.

He looked down at her, scowling. Scowling? Was he actually scowling? Who scowls? Her regret was quickly dissolving into frustration.

"I'm sure you're very sorry. You're all very sorry. But now I have to go to the cleaners. Excuse me." He left in a couple of long strides. Long strides, long legs. There was something about long legs that just did something for her. But what a jerk. How about some manners, some proper humanity? Like he has never spilled anything? I'm sure he is so perfect, Elizabeth scowled to herself. And since when wasn't she an individual? You're all. Please. Well, that was a lost cause, even when she spilled something on him, she barely registered on his radar.

Her cell phone vibrated. She had left a memo to herself…oh yes, lunch with Jane.

………………..

"Jane! Dr. Jane! Over here!" Jane blushed and moved towards the table Elizabeth was sitting at. Leggy, blonde, fair, beautiful, Jane was every woman's worst nightmare. She was, however, the kindest person Elizabeth had ever met and thus she was incapable of not keeping Jane as her most dear friend.

They had been roommates since freshman year at Boston U. Bound together by bad frat parties, bad guys, and bad food they remained close friends. Living with Jane was so easy and rent was so high they also remained roommates. To this date they had shared five different apartments. However, with Elizabeth's work and class schedule and Jane's hours at the clinic, they barely saw one another. So it was not a joke when Jane felt the need to hug Elizabeth and cry 'I haven't seen you in so long!'

"I know, I miss you. But, seriously, when's the last time we actually been able to chat. Well, besides, the groggy 'morning' I croak to you?"

"It's been at least a week. Because, Elizabeth, I have to tell you. This has been the happiest week of my life and I'm sure I have yet to tell you that."

"Wait. Wait. Happier than your week in Disney World? Because I'm pretty sure you've always said that was your happiest week,"

"That is second now." She paused as if to think and smiled wide. "This one is definitely the first"

"So what's so happy about this week?"

"Charles…Charlie"

"A boy? Is he a vet?"

"No, he doesn't work at the clinic. He's…well, I'm not sure what he does. Business, I think."

"You spent the happiest week of your life with this guy and you don't know what he does? Sounds kind of skankish…kind of Pretty Woman-esque. I can always lend you money Jane, if you're that hard pressed."

"No, no, no. It's just that we have so much to talk about. We never did the basics"

"Do you know his last name, at least? Where did you meet?"

"We met at the clinic. He brought his dog in. No, actually it was his friend's dog."

"Are you allowed to date a client, Jane? This is scandalous," Elizabeth joked.

"Oh, Elizabeth. No, he was at the hospital and we just bumped in to each other. It was like…"

"Magic?" Elizabeth chimed.

Jane smiled warmly. "It felt familiar." She looked away and glanced around the room. "Now you will make fun of me."

"Jane! I'm shocked. I will not make fun of you. I would never make fun of true love." Elizabeth teased.

Jane picked up her water and blushed and sipped. She glowed. She looked truly happy.

"So what about you, Lizzy, is love around your corner?"

Elizabeth let out a loud laugh. "Not in the near future. I'm swamped with classes. High school and doctoral. Plus, most of the men I meet are either 16 or aging math teachers. You know, the kind that spit when the explain Pythagoras' theorem. I guess that can be kind of a turn on."

"Don't act like you don't love the old guys, Lizzy. I remember your secret crush on our American Civ professor,"

"Dr. Hershburger? Oh, yeah, he was a total babe. And he memorized all of 'Song of Myself', which for a normal human is impossible. Total babe."

"Lizzy, he was like, sixty."

"So is Georgio Armani. And, come on, Armani is a fox."

"I think I'm done with this conversation."

Elizabeth laughed and remembered something, "I did bump into this really nice looking, not old guy today."

"You did? Did you get his number?"

Elizabeth gave her a look, "Do you really except me to say yes to that question? No, I didn't even talk to him."

"Oh."

"Well, besides pleas of forgiveness. I spilled my drink on him."

"What did he say?"

"He yelled at me! And then stormed out. I think he has anger issues. But…" Jane looked at her to go on, "He was so cute. I mean like…handsome or something…" Elizabeth trailed off remembering him turning the page with his strong, tanned, gentle hands.

"Maybe you two will meet again. How romantic."

"And then what? He will be all easy-going and charming all of the sudden? No man, this guy was a jerk. But…oh, man, so good-looking. I almost thought to go and talk to him. I mean introduce myself."

Jane opened her eyes in exaggerated surprise, "You did? I'm all astonishment."

"No kidding."

"Hmm," Jane smiled widely, "Oh, before I forget. I want you to have dinner with me and Charlie tonight. It's important to me that you meet him because I know you, and I know right now that you are skeptical."

"What I am not skeptical."

Jane looked at her.

"Okay. So I want to meet him."

"Okay, tonight. I forget the restaurant, so I'll call you later. Oh and his friend is coming. He just moved here from Manhattan." Elizabeth looked up from her food. "Don't make that face. He's nice."

"You've haven't even met him. He could be a self-absorbed Manhattanite."

"If he is a friend of Charlie's I'm sure he's not. Plus, you have an unreasonable prejudice against people from Manhattan. I bet he's a lovely person."

"Oh, I bet."

She did go, against her will and better judgment, but she went. With this in mind, she was on the defensive and Jane could have told her that if she didn't relax, she wouldn't give these people a fair trial. But Jane was too entertained by Charlie to notice and, thus, Elizabeth's demeanor was rather haughty.