Bewitched

Chapter 4

"Mr. Darcy?" I asked, my jaw hanging ajar from being dumbfounded. My heartbeat raced like a fast car, thinking why is he here?

He looked at me from the same stairs that Hugh has gone through awhile ago and descended from the snow-colored glass, his eyes never leaving mine. I felt corrupted for a short period of time, as though I did something wrong, which gave me mixed and irrational feelings.

His look on me was quite confusing. I don't know if he's surprised I'm here or if I ravaged his day because he found me standing a few feet away from him.

He clears his throat and goes in for a hug that I was inevitably taken aback from.

You were just arguing with me last night and now you want to hug me?

I never thought he'd be that type of person, considering the impression he gave me last night.

Out of nervousness, I backed away and held my hand out instead. He looked at me with confusion, but lets it slide, and eventually shook hands with me.

Sudden body contact with him is not something I'm comfortable with, and I don't know if I ever will be.

"What are you doing here? Hugh didn't mention any visitors for today." He monotonously said and slowly lets go of my hand.

I sheepishly chuckled, rubbing my arms as I can feel my whole body heating up, "Oh, we weren't supposed to be here but Hugh said that he prefers to work here today for the book." I explained as I tried not to 'accidentally' look into his eyes. Those eyes are a terrible thing to be casted a spell upon.

"Oh, right the book!" He remembers, holding his index finger up.

"Well, good luck Ms. Bennet." He smiles at me, his luminescent eyes looking identical from last night.

"Thank you." I smiled back at him.

"Alright, best be heading now. I have a meeting, which I'm late for." He timidly says, evident that he is exceedingly late.

I nodded at him and said, "Have a nice day, Mr. Darcy."

He gazes upon me, giving me a small smile before heading out the door.

Did he just smile at me?? Holy shi-

"Who was that?" Mia, who has been invading every room there is in this floor, startled me as I have kept my eyes on the door that he exited from for at least a minute or two.

Embarrassing, really.

"O-oh. It was Mr. Darcy, he just headed out." I said, stumbling on my words.

I cursed at myself for stuttering at the mention of him. What the hell was wrong with me? I absolutely have no idea what summoned me to cause all these extraneous thoughts. It is completely not helping me focus on what I should be prioritizing.

"Did you ask why he was here?" She asks me the exact same question I wish I remembered to ask him, but no, I was too caught up mesmerizing his heavenly-colored eyes.

Goddamn it.

I shook my head, crossing my arms as I turned away from the red wooden door, "No."

"Maybe he's staying with him for a while." She says while grabbing an apple from the table simultaneously.

I slowly nodded, "Yeah." I breathed.

"Hugh never really mentioned Darcy while you guys went out, right?" I asked out of the blue.

Mia shakes her head, "Nothing I can remember." She states, "Plus, I've never really seen his face before." She continues.

"Okay." I replied, and momentously after, Hugh came back from upstairs.

"Are you ready to start working on the next best-selling novel in America, Anna?" Hugh ecstatically says, his laptop on his arm while he gave me the biggest smile.

My mind suddenly remembered why I was here in the first place, bringing back the same energy I had the moment I woke up.

I smiled back at him and said, "Been ready since the first word." I laughed, finally letting it all sink in.

____

"So, the press conference of the book will be held at the soon-to-be FOURiends Bookstore and Coffee Shop?" Hugh clarifies as he types down all this information on his laptop.

I nodded assuring him that I am completely sure about my decision. He looks at me for a second and raises his eyebrow before addressing his concerns about my decision, "I just want the best for you. You know that right?"

He's been urging me to choose his own bookstore for the press conference because of the assurance that it will get a lot of media and exposure, but I already made a promise to Timothy and I can't easily let him down.

"Of course, I know that Hugh." I gave him a reassuring smile.

"But I've already planned this with Timothy the moment I finished the book and we've planned so much already. It's too late to back out now." I tell him, trying to assure him of my plans.

"The two of us have been planning the perfect launch and press conference for the book, so I'm guaranteed that it would get the same attention just as if we would hold the press conference in your bookstore" I added, politely turning down his offer.

"If it fails, you can pack your bags and find another book to publish," I told him with confidence, placing a bet on the situation.

"Oh, shush. As if you'll make me leave that easily. No matter what happens, I'll always be here to make the best out of the situation and make sure your dreams come true." He assures me with his words and gives me a smile.

"Thanks, Hugh. I promise you this will work." I swore to him and looked at the first paperback draft of my book, knowing at this moment I wouldn't let anything hinder the success of my book, not when I filled it with all my passion and hard work.

"I know, I trust you." He says, as he finally types down FOURiends as the venue for the launching of the book and for the press conference.

I breathed out a sigh of relief and continued brainstorming for the possible book covers of the paperback version and the hardback version on my notebook. All of this created a butterfly moment in my stomach, creating a part of the satisfying moment in my life that is yet to devour soon.

"I can't believe it," Hugh exclaims as he gets up from his chair. which he did not leave since the morning we started working.

Imagine how sore our butts are right now.

"I didn't take notice of the time. The two of you must be starving!" He groans, "Because I am extremely starving." He exasperatingly said, closing his laptop and tucking it in his arm.

"Come on now, we must be going. James will be here any minute and I'm taking the both of you to the best restaurant in Manhattan!" He says before evaporating into thin air.

I looked at Mia with wide eyes as I try to keep my laughter in my lungs. A jangling of keys was suddenly heard from the outside. Immediately, I knew that it was Mr. Darcy on the other side of the door.

"What a surprise to still see you here." He says for a first, looking at me again, but this time it was clear that he was confused why I was still here. He removed his thick wool coat to reveal the same clothes I saw him wearing this morning.

"Oh, we just finished doing some work." I told him as I cleared my workspace.

He didn't answer and just nodded at me. "Will we be going out for dinner?" Darcy asks before ascending to the stairs.

I nodded, "Yeah. We were just waiting for you." I said, before putting my laptop back in its case.

He looks at me for a whole minute, again for a reason which is unknown to me, and it was starting to make me feel weird like he was trying to get something out from me.

"Perfect." He simply says and disappears from my sight.

What a confusing man he is.