[001] the prettiest diamond

                    Elizabeth had never had to lift a finger for anything.

                    As the only daughter of Connie and Donald Spencer, she had been spoiled rotten from the day she had been born. Elizabeth had her father's insurance company to thank for all that money. Don knew how to win clients and make as much money as possible, fueling the Spencer's affluent lifestyle.

                    But although Elizabeth had everything she could ever want, she didn't really have anything she needed. What a total cliché.

                    Elizabeth was aware of how lucky she was, how privileged she was. Just about everyone told her so. And yet, Elizabeth felt so miserable. She was trapped in her life of luxury and wealth, forced to act like she was happy when she actually felt so numb. Every time she stared at herself in the mirror, Elizabeth hated the woman that stared back at her. She couldn't recognize herself, her beautiful face painted with expensive makeup.

                    More times than not, Elizabeth desired to scream at the top of her lungs. But she kept her emotions bottled up inside, feeling it slowly fill up to the brim. One of these days, it was bound to explode and the thought both terrified and excited Elizabeth at the same time.

                    No one knew how Elizabeth felt. She hid it all behind a bright smile, dressing up her dark thoughts in silk and diamonds.

                    Tonight was no different.

                    Elizabeth wandered around the penthouse with a bored expression, dressed in an emerald-colored gown which hugged her body perfectly. But, of course, her outfit wouldn't be complete without several pieces of jewelry to go with it. Elizabeth hardly ever left the house without some sort of jewelry; her mother had taught her that diamonds were a girl's best friend.

                    Elizabeth had already socialized with just about everyone here, and now she was utterly bored. No one had yet to stimulate Elizabeth and keep her engaged. It seemed like there was no one here that she could relate to. But then again, that was to be expected. None of these stuck-up assholes could relate to Elizabeth. Most of the guests at this dinner party tonight were powerful and rich men who thought of themselves to be superior because of the thing in between their legs.

                    Only few were actually women. And even then, they were merely socialites or happened to be dating one of the men here. There was no such thing as a powerful woman. The reason Elizabeth was even at this dinner party was because of her best friend, Jack Flemming. He was a powerful lawyer who represented her dad a couple years back, starting a friendship between him and Elizabeth shortly after he'd win the case.

                    Life was hard for a woman these days, especially in the sixties. In this world, a woman was either a saint or a devil, a prude or a whore, a housewife or a radical feminist bitch. Either way, women weren't seen as anything more than pretty faces. There weren't a lot of women in the business world, unless you counted pretty receptionists who screwed their bosses to try and get ahead.

                    While things were beginning to change with protests and such, Elizabeth didn't think it was changing nearly enough. She had to endure at least three creepy men who couldn't keep their hands to themselves and turn down a fourth one who wanted to take her home. And not just so they could talk and have a drink. It was infuriating and while Elizabeth wanted to hit all of them over the head with a bottle of champagne, she found strength she didn't even know she possessed and didn't go through with it.

                     But god, was it tempting.

                     Elizabeth decided to wander away from the crowd, hoping to be alone until it was time for them all to sit down for dinner. Besides being here for her friend, Jack, her parents decided it'd be best for Elizabeth to get out of the house more. That was obviously code for finding a husband because as her mother so lovingly put it, it wasn't as though she was getting any younger. Her time was ticking and beauty was fleeting.

                     She needed to snag a good and rich man before she got too old and ugly.

                    Elizabeth finished the last of her champagne before setting the empty glass down onto a nearby table, frowning when she realized that she had forgotten her pack of cigarettes. Her mother often told her how incredibly unladylike it was for her to smoke. But Elizabeth never really listened to what her mom had to say about it. Unfortunately, she only had her terrible memory to blame this time. But Eliabeth wasn't completely hopeless. She knew she could ask Jack for a cigarette since his addiction was even worse than Elizabeth's.

                    Before Elizabeth could try and search Jack in the midst of the party, someone new would join her in the corner of the room. Elizabeth looks over to see that it was a man around her height, maybe even an inch or so taller. He had dark brown hair combed back and wore an expensive black suit, his green tie happening to compliment her dress. He was digging around in his pocket, fishing out a silver cigarette case with an intricate design etched on the front. Just as he was in the process of taking out a cigarette, he finally felt Elizabeth's eyes on him and he looked up to meet her gaze. His eyes were a bright blue, causing Elizabeth to pause when she realized that she had been caught staring.

                     "Do you want one?" he offers her the case, a faint smile on his lips. 

                    "Um, yes. Please," Elizabeth looks away from him and down at the cigarettes, grabbing one for herself. "Thank you very much."

                    "You're welcome," he responded before pulling out his lighter and lighting the end of Elizabeth's cigarette for her.

                    She glances up at him as he does so and they lock eyes, the flame between them lighting up both of their eyes. When he finished, Elizabeth finally pulled away so she could take a drag from the cigarette. He lit his own cigarette, deciding to join her. Elizabeth was pleased that he wasn't one of the many men who also told her to quit or that it'd be bad for her. Elizabeth really hated that.

                    "Are you here with anyone?" he then asked her, deciding to get straight to the point.

                    Elizabeth couldn't help but appreciate it. She had always despised small talk, despite the fact that everyone here seemed to engage in it. Elizabeth preferred going straight to the point more than anything.

                   "Just a friend," Elizabeth responds before blowing smoke in his direction, "Are you here with anyone?"

                  "Just myself. But I was invited through some mutual friends," he admitted.

                  "Mm. I haven't seen you around before. Have you been hiding away from these parties all this time or what?" Elizabeth teased, but a part of her was genuinely curious. She had never seen the man before. If she had, she definitely would have remembered.

                  "I've been busy with work," he responded, and Elizabeth quickly figured that he was no different than the other power hungry and work obsessed men in here.

                  That was a shame because he was so cute.

                  "Oh, yeah? What is it that you do?" Elizabeth questioned before she took another drag from her cigarette.

                 "I am the founder and CEO of Waystar Royco. A fairly new business but it's already doing well. Have you heard of it?" he answered.

                 "I think so. My father's been talking about it. Actually, a lot of people have. You're doing very well for yourself...," Elizabeth trailed off when she realized that she actually didn't know his name.

                "Logan. Logan Roy," he introduced himself before blowing a puff of smoke to the side.

               "Elizabeth Spencer," she responded with a smile.

              Logan blows a puff of smoke to the side. "Your family owns that highly successful insurance company, correct?"

             "Yes, we do," Elizabeth nods. "If you're ever looking for insurance -."

             "I'm good for now, but thank you," Logan cut her off with a chuckle.

             "Right. I don't even work for my parents and yet it's like I do business for them. They should hire me honestly," Elizabeth teased. She had asked them before but as expected, they had turned her down. Elizabeth was only good enough to be their precious trophy, the prettiest diamond they had ever owned.

             "That's funny," Logan chuckled.

             Elizabeth furrowed her brows in confusion. She truly didn't see what was so funny about what she had said. "Why is that?"

             "Because someone as beautiful as you shouldn't have to work a day in your life," Logan responded.

             Elizabeth smiles, a playful eye roll following behind it. "How many lucky girls have you told that to?"

             "Just you," Logan responded.

             "I don't believe you for a second," Elizabeth argued. He was too handsome and charming, saying the line with such ease that he had to have said it before. Elizabeth has met his type before and she knew he wouldn't be the last one either.

             Still, Elizabeth would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy his attention and compliments. When beauty was the only thing a girl had going for her, she was willing to take all that she could get.

            "You're just going to have to trust me," Logan replied.

           Before Elizabeth could say anything more, someone else joined their conversation. But this time, it would definitely be a much more familiar face. "Jack! There you are!"

            "Liz! I see you've already met my new friend, Logan Roy," Jack grinned, glancing between the two of them. 

            "Yes, we met each other. I should've known the two of you would be friends," Elizabeth replied with a smile, taking one more drag from the cigarette.

            "We met not too long ago but Logan here already feels like a brother to me," Jack replied, patting Logan right on the shoulder.

           Logan smiles at him. "I appreciate that. Jack here is one of the first friends I made when I moved out here and started Waystar Royco."

           "This man is going to be doing big things, Liz. I'm telling you! He's not one you want to underestimate," Jack stated.

          "Is that so?" Elizabeth looks over at Logan with renewed interest. If Jack seemed to believe in Logan, then that truly met something. There was a lot of people who came to New York to get rich and only a few of them actually succeeded.

           But maybe Logan had exactly what it took to make it in the cutthroat business world. Elizabeth didn't know a lot of people with that actual killer instinct.

           Logan just smiles, reaching over to put out his cigarette with a nearby ashtray.

           "Hey, the dinner is actually ready so if you want to join us, that'd be great," Jack motioned towards the table and Elizabeth could see the others now beginning to sit down with the rest of them.

           "That sounds like a wonderful idea," Elizabeth replied, also putting out her cigarette in the ashtray.

            Jack waited until Elizabeth was done before he wrapped his arms around her and led her over to the table. The two of them walked away, although Elizabeth still turned around to try and look at Logan. He had already been watching her, his eyes shining with interest. As much as Elizabeth wanted to try and play hard to get, she was also interested in Logan too.

            "How come you never told me about Logan?" Elizabeth asked once the two of them sat down next to each other at the table.

             Jack shrugged. "You never bothered to ask me."

            "Well, you should have told me," Elizabeth frowned.

            "What? Do you like him or something?" Jack questioned, narrowing his eyes.

            It's Elizabeth's turn to shrug, but a small smile graces her lips nonetheless. "I just think he's nice, that's all."

             She can feel eyes on her so she looks to see who it is, only to meet eyes with Logan once again. He was sitting at the other end of the table and there were several men talking to him. All of them were trying to get his attention but he was focused on Elizabeth only.

            "Be careful though, Liz. He isn't exactly the type of man to keep only one woman. Ever since he's been to New York, he's certainly been having his fun," Jack warned.

            "Maybe he hasn't found the right woman yet," Elizabeth reasoned as the waiters came out and placed the food in front of everyone.

            "Don't say I didn't warn you," Jack sighed before he began to eat his food.

            Elizabeth glanced over at Logan once more and the two smiled at each other again. Jack noticed it all with a frown, wondering if he should have ever allowed the two to meet at all. If Jack could have predicted the future, he would have done everything in his power to never let them meet at all.

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word count: 2233
notes: so logan and liz have officially meet. it truly is the beginning of the end for lizzie and i feel so bad for her. let me know what you think as always!!