First (Wrong) Impressions: A Modern Pride & Prejudice Read Online Free PDF

speaker was introduced, Lizzy whispered to Darcy, “Did you think I spoke well?”
    “I was moved to tears,” he said, again with a flat tone but with the same sparkle in his eyes.
    “I didn’t know machines could cry,” she shot back.
    “I had the tear ducts installed just for this event.” He took a sip of his coffee, then turned away to listen to the next guest.
    Lizzy couldn’t quite decide if she should slap him or laugh.
    ****
    Back in her office, Lizzy collapsed in her chair and flipped through her standard internet browsing, before undertaking the deluge of work on her desk.
    “Aww,” Lizzy said, looking at her updates. “Hey, Luke? Come here. Listen to this.”
    Luke was at the photocopier. He took the three steps to poke his head back into their office. “What?”
    “Jane and Charles are tweeting each other!”
    @Skater_J: So proud of my baby sister! She’s the new face of Edmonton Transit! @Skater_J: Grabbing lattes with @charliebing before heading back on set.
    “That’s it?” Luke sounded disappointed.
    “There’s more.”
    @charliebing: Never been on a commercial set. This is really neat! Thanks for letting me hang out @Skater_J!
    @Skater_J: My pleasure, @charliebing
    @charliebing: We’re standing next to each other in the lineup and tweeting each other @Skater_J
    @Skater_J: It’s true! @LizzyB1 is going to tease us.
    “They’re so cute,” Lizzy crooned. “They’re like adorable little kittens.”
    “Yeah, I want to put them in my pocket and carry them around all day.”
    Lizzy made a face and waited for more status updates.
    “How did the breakfast go?” Luke asked.
    “Let’s get Melissa.” Lizzy stepped over to the door. She shouted out for Melissa, who looked through her window and waved. Lizzy motioned for her to come and Melissa joined them in the cramped office.
    Melissa Gardiner had been The Faith’s Executive Director for over three years now. Lizzy and Luke had both done turns at the job, but both preferred their current jobs. Lizzy organized street-level services, and Luke organized volunteers. Lizzy spoke about donations to any street-level service, and Luke spoke about volunteer needs. Melissa organized donors, money, and volunteers. Neither wanted her job.
    Both Lizzy and Luke got along well with Melissa, and not just because she did the job they both hated. She was a great boss. She had a peaceful smile that Lizzy found soothing and non-threatening. These days Melissa kept her silver-speckled black hair cut close to her dark scalp, which only served to make her smile all the more noticeable.
    “So, how did it go? Good?” Melissa asked.
    Lizzy took her chair. “I think it went good. I gave my talk and had a lot of questions afterwards. I handed out a lot of business cards. Everyone at my table was completely enthralled.” She thought about Darcy. “Well, nearly everyone. Darcy was there.”
    Luke’s eyes widen. “No way! After what you said to him last night? Oh, that must’ve been awkward.”
    “Who’s Darcy?”
    “Some snobby douchebag,” Lizzy sneered.
    “Correction. A snobby douchebag worth about a quarter of a billion who Lizzy mouthed off to at a party last night,” Luke clarified. “I looked him up on the internet.”
    Lizzy groaned. “I didn’t know he was going to be there.”
    “So, it didn’t go as well as you hoped?” Melissa asked, looking pained.
    “I really think it did go well. Big deal if he doesn’t vote for donating to us. I think we’ll see some money. There were some huge projects, though, things like vans for meals to seniors and such, so they’ll get the bulk of the cash.” Lizzy shrugged. “I think I made enough of an impression to get at least a new coffee urn and maybe even an industrial fridge. We could sure use that.”
    Luke’s expression turned wistful. “A coffee urn that doesn’t sound like an atomic bomb going off.”
    “A fridge whose doors actually close the entire way,” Melissa added,