A/N: This is a cute little story that I've been sitting on for awhile. Several of the scenes are written, but it is still missing the connective tissue to bring it together. I'm starting to put it out because I have some readers who are seriously not on board with the Inhibitions serial. I promised not to leave those readers without smut, and I shan't. I don't promise a rate of update on this story. I am in the midst of chaos, trying to deal with the death of a family member. I am still writing and posting because I am an inherently selfish person, and I need reasons to smile and look forward to things even as I am overwhelmed with grief. Sorry for the drama, sorry for missing deadlines on my other stories, and sorry if I bummed you out. I wrote this chapter when I was totally unbummed. Enjoy

Chapter 1

Ezra stared at his bed feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. Spread across the bed were 4 of his dress shirts with 4 different ties. He knew each of the combinations worked, Aria had put them together for previous dates they'd been on. He just couldn't decide which was the best one for tonight. Whatever he chose, it had to be impressive. He wanted to look young, but not immature. He wanted to look like he'd put thought into his clothes, but not like he tried too hard. He wanted to look creative, but grounded. He wanted Aria to be here to help him decide, but she wasn't going with him. She wasn't going because he had decided it wasn't a good idea. She wasn't here because she had decided that what he had decided was horseshit.

Tonight, there was a book launch party hosted by Big Scrapple Publishing in Philadelphia. Every handful of years Big Scrapple put out a 3-book set highlighting the works of up and coming young writers from Pennsylvania. Ezra's work had been chosen for both the short story and poetry anthologies. It was an immense honor, only 4 of the writers were featured in more than one of the books. Ezra was proud, but overwhelmed, by the attention he had been receiving for the last few weeks from the literary scene in Philadelphia. The marketing department chose to highlight him, in particular, because being a college professor at 25 was a good hook. Other writers in the spotlight included a recent immigrant from South America, a young veteran who lost part of her leg to an I.E.D., and a writer who was the son of a successful novelist. Ezra worried that the scrutiny would increase if anyone figured out his real last name. And then, of course, there was Aria.

Aria was the one who encouraged Ezra to submit his work, she even suggested he use the detective story that Big Scrapple liked so much. He absolutely wanted to celebrate this with her, just not at this party. The event would be too large of a risk for exposure. Photographs from both outside and inside the event would be posted on Big Scrapple Publishing's website. The press was covering the event. The subsequent mingling would be riddled with tricky questions and assumptions. Ezra and Aria were currently "running into each other" at Hollis semi-regularly. They were starting to evolve their public relationship from teacher/student to normal friends. They made sure they were seen on campus together, in public, grabbing coffee, chatting at an outdoor table, sitting on the grass in the quad. Aria was being "up front" with her parents that they were talking, spending time in each other's company, learning about each other in a non-academic way. Aria was going to ask Ella's opinion about her desire to ask Ezra out on a date. A single picture of them together at the launch party would upend the applecart. Ezra doubted there was a single student at Rosewood High that hadn't heard about their former teacher's budding success.

The party was being held at an upscale restaurant that the publisher rented out for the whole night. There was going to be a red carpet of sorts, where photographers from local news outlets could take pictures of the writers as they arrived. Only an official photographer would be inside to take pictures of the first portion of the evening, which included several writers reading excerpts of their work. Ezra was going to be reading the poem he'd written and follow that up immediately with a scene from his story. The publisher felt it was a great way to transition from the poetry book to the short story book. At the end of the readings there would be a short Q&A that was open to the press. Ezra was incredibly nervous to read his work in such a high-profile environment, and he was straight up scared of the Q&A. If they asked about the inspiration for his poem, he couldn't tell them about Aria. If they asked about his love life in general, he had to keep his relationship quiet, but not imply he was available. If they asked about his family, he hoped banal vagueness would suffice.

The Q&A marked the end of the formal launch party, and then the social part of the party would begin. The photographer would clear out and the press would be released. Any reporters who wished to stay were welcome, with the strict understanding that nothing from the private event was on the record. Big Scrapple wanted to encourage their writers to build a rapport with the press but wouldn't let any of them be cornered by an overzealous literary critic. There would be food, drinks, dancing, and general merriment. There would also be introductions, awkward small talk, and people hungry to consume any salacious tidbits they could pull from the other inebriated guests. And that wasn't even considering the social media enthusiasts that would post pictures and stories about the night everywhere on the internet. Ezra had explained all of these concerns to Aria, and though she acknowledged each one, she still insisted there were ways to overcome the risks. Ezra loved her optimism, but he couldn't take the chance.

Ezra wondered about that choice now, looking at his bed. He hated that Aria was upset with him. He hated that he was facing going through the night without her. He really hated that he would be coming home without her. Aria's very personal congratulations to him after he found out they'd chosen him for the books had stayed on his mind for days. Thinking about it now made Ezra ache. Was it too late to change his mind? The car that the publisher was sending for him would be here in 15 minutes, so, yes. It was absolutely too late. Ezra grabbed the black shirt and silver tie. Aria loved that tie, and the black shirt matched his mood.

18 minutes later Ezra walked out of his building and over to the black sedan that was across the street. The driver was waiting. He opened the back door and Ezra was shocked to see that the car already had an occupant. At first all he could see in the dark interior was a sparkly silver stiletto and an attractive stockinged leg. Was he supposed to be riding with someone else to the party? As Ezra got closer he could see more deeply into the darkness and saw a dark green strapless dress, magnificent alabaster skin, and the face he loved more than anything else in the world, Aria.

Ezra froze and just stared for a moment. He couldn't contain the smile that burst onto his face. She was exquisite. Her hair was up, showing her beautiful neck and shoulders. The neckline of the dress accentuated her bust, but looked elegant and mature, rather than revealing. The dress ended just above the knee. Long, multi-strand earrings completed the picture of perfection that was his Aria, and she was here. That thought quickly broke Ezra out of his daze and his smile evaporated.

"Aria? What are you doing?" Ezra climbed into the backseat and faced his girlfriend who looked regal, like a queen presiding over her court. Her expression was pleasant, but cool, as if his arrival was expected but not agreeable.

"I'm doing what you should have done. I'm inviting myself to the party."

"Aria, we talked about this. Tonight, is nerve wracking for me and I need to focus on just getting through it. If you're there, and someone asks the wrong question..."

"I remember the argument, Ezra. But since I can't convince you you're wrong, I have to prove you wrong. Now, let's play nice, you never know what kind of gossip the driver might spread. You don't want to get a reputation for fighting with your girlfriend, do you? Consider the scandal." Ezra rolled his eyes at Aria's sarcasm. It wasn't a bad point, though. If it got around that Ezra had tried to prevent his girlfriend from going to the party, people would start asking questions. He couldn't believe Aria was putting him in this position. He was trying to protect her, too.

The majority of the ride into the city was spent in stony silence. When they were about 20 minutes out Aria turned to Ezra and gave him a shy smile. "You are very handsome, this evening, Professor. That's probably the outfit I would have picked, too. It's interesting, a bit bold but not flashy, it's elegant and sexy as sin. And it's gently reminiscent of your story." Aria had an artist's eye. When she liked the look of something, she could describe exactly why. She was also a writer, so her descriptions were vivid and often more beautiful than the thing being described. She and her friend Hanna didn't have the same taste in clothes, but they loved talking fashion. Hanna was an encyclopedia of fashion knowledge and Aria could pick out all the details that differentiated similar outfits.

Ezra smiled and reached for Aria's hand. He kissed it and then held it, lovingly. Ezra might end up with an ulcer from worrying this evening, but he still adored this woman. "You are stunning. I think you witnessed how I was stunned when I first saw you."

"I thought that was just shock that I was in the car." Aria replied. Ezra chuckled, just a little.

"Well, that too, but mostly I was just taking in your beauty. I almost forgot to be mad." He tried to take the sting out of those words by kissing her hand again. Aria smiled and a little of her eyes' natural sparkle appeared.

"Since we both look so spiffy, let's take a quick picture. Tim, is it ok if we take a picture? We need the flash, but we'll only take one." Aria addressed the driver with friendliness and familiarity.

"No problem, Miss Aria. Just count down from 3 so I'm prepared." Tim's voice was warm, maybe even admiring. Ezra was confused.

"You know the driver's name? You two are friends?" Ezra kept his voice soft but didn't try to whisper. Tim was going to hear him. Aria tilted her chin down and looked at Ezra out of the top of her eyes. The look screamed, really?

"I talked him into letting me into the car, of course we exchanged names. And, I am very happy I got to meet him, he's a good egg." Aria spoke at normal level, she wanted Tim to hear the compliment.

"The pleasure has been all mine, Miss Aria." Aria could hear the smile in his voice. You could never have too many friends. Aria reached down to the bundle at her feet. She grabbed a silver scarf/shawl.

"I wanted to show you this new wrap. I love how it shimmers." Aria held it up to Ezra and he smiled. Aria wrapped it around her shoulders.

"It's lovely. Did you want to do the picture?" He had his phone in hand. Aria smiled and nodded. Ezra set the phone and made sure the flash was facing them.

"3, 2, 1." Aria counted down and Ezra took the picture. "Great. Now let's look at it." Something about this situation didn't feel quite normal to Ezra. He switched modes and was more than a little surprised at what he saw. His face was heavily shadowed, and Aria's was completely blacked out. Her wrap was a blinding white. Aria was smiling in satisfaction.

"What just happened? What is that thing?" Ezra gestured to the normal looking silver scarf.

"This is a highly reflective scarf that was designed with the idea of stopping paparazzi from getting good pictures of celebrities. The flash reflects off the scarf and completely throws off the exposure. VoilĂ . I have no face. Obviously, these things are insanely expensive." Aria stopped there, if Ezra asked she would tell him, but she wasn't going to incriminate herself for no reason.

"And how is it that you have it? I can't imagine Byron and Ella approving of the purchase." Ezra knew that Aria didn't shoplift, but she might have let Hanna get it for her. Aria laughed at his question.

"No, my parents don't know I have this. I borrowed it from Melissa Hastings. Why in the world she thinks she needs it is not a mystery I'm looking to solve." Ezra looked at her, doubtfully.

"Spencer's sister lent you an insanely expensive scarf." Ezra's few encounters with the older Hastings sister had not left him with the impression that Melissa would be so generous.

"Spencer and I may have skipped the step of asking, but I am going to return it, so it is borrowing." Aria knew from personal experience that there were people that could not be reasoned with or persuaded. When presented with the unhappy circumstance of needing something from one of those people, it was better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. The best was to not get caught. Ezra shook his head at Aria's admission.

"I concede that you have come up with a genius way of not being photographed. But you know that wasn't my only concern." Ezra didn't want to argue, again, but he was still fearful of taking Aria into the party. At the least, she needed to understand where he was coming from. Aria looked at him with sympathy. Worrying so much wasn't good for him.

"I know it wasn't, and we will address the other concerns, but we'll be at the party in less than 15 minutes and you have done nothing to prepare me for it."

Ezra cut in, "I didn't prepare you for it because I didn't think you would be attending it."

"Yes, Baby, I know. But let's live in the now. I know a little about the people you've been working with from your limited stories about them. Who am I likely to meet and what do you want me to talk about with them?" Ezra spent the rest of the drive giving Aria a brief rundown of the staff at the publishing company and the other writers that he had met, so far. He focused especially on Sylvia Westin, she was the publisher, and the anthologies were her brain child. She put a lot of thought and time into them and was very supportive of the writers. Ezra realized how ungrateful he would seem if it was obvious he hadn't talked about her with Aria. Come to think of it, why hadn't he? He'd have to think about it later.

Ezra was familiar with the area; Big Scrapple was only a handful of blocks from the restaurant. He knew they'd be there momentarily. His stomach was starting to churn, he felt hot, and short of breath. Aria recognized the signs of an impending panic attack. She took immediate action. Aria wrapped her arms around Ezra's neck and pulled him into a kiss. It was deep and passionate, she barely stopped herself from running her fingers through his hair. Ezra's arms went around Aria's waist and he pulled her against him. The only thing that existed for Ezra in that moment was Aria's kiss. All other thought faded away. Aria slowed the kiss and gradually ended it. She pulled back, but Ezra resisted. He wanted to reclaim her mouth, he wanted more.

Aria caressed Ezra's cheek. "Baby, we're almost there. Everything is ok, you're going to be fantastic." Aria pulled tissue from her purse and wiped her lip gloss from around his mouth. She smiled at him. His eyes were clearing from the haze that had covered them for a moment. "Make sure your phone is on vibrate, you don't want it making noise during the reading. I am crazy proud of you, find me in the audience, ok? If you get nervous, just look at me." The car slowed and got in line behind a few other cars that were dropping guests off at the restaurant. It was time. "Ezra, look at me. I love you more than I could possibly say. Give those photographers that million-dollar smile that I fell in love with. I will see you after the Q&A, ok?" Ezra finally opened his mouth.

"What do you mean? You're not coming with me?" Ezra hadn't wanted Aria to come, but now the thought of her not being there was awful.

"Tim is going to bring me around back and get me in through a side door. I am here to support you not ruin everything we're working toward. You have to walk in there alone. Besides, if I was next to you, none of the photos would come out. I can't deny the world a chance to see how gorgeous you are. It would be selfish." Ezra cracked-up. Aria constantly surprised him. The car edged forward, and a valet opened the door next to Ezra. He turned to get out, but Aria grabbed his arm. "One more thing, I wasn't wearing the wrap earlier when I was getting ready for tonight, so those pictures came out just fine. I'll send them to you, k?" She winked and pushed him out of the car.

Ezra shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He walked up to the restaurant slowly. Flashbulbs started going off when he walked directly in front of the pool of photographers. He calmly took his stance and faced a few different directions. This wasn't actually a new experience for him. He'd attended countless formal events when he was still a Fitzgerald, many of them had press pools at the entrance. He knew how to stand, how to move, the speed to go so you were courteous of the professionals doing their jobs but didn't look like a narcissist. It all came back to him as he walked up to the doors of the restaurant. If events like this were in his future, he would feel wonderful having Aria beside him. Once their relationship was out in the open and accepted, he would make sure everyone knew that he was lucky enough to be loved by Aria Montgomery. His phone vibrated in his pocket as he walked into the restaurant. He stepped to the side and pulled it out to find a message from Aria and a picture.

I was thinking of your beautiful eyes when I picked this out. I was thinking of your eyes running up and down my body in this set. I was thinking of your eyes running up and down my body out of this set. xoxo-Aria

The picture was of her bed decked out in white sheets. On top lay a dark blue satin and lace lingerie set, complete with garter belt and black stockings. Aria said she'd taken pictures, plural, and would send them to him. God help him.

Aria smiled to herself as she hit send on the first message. She hoped the pictures would distract Ezra from being nervous. She hoped he would think of them and anticipate getting the next one, so he didn't think of everything that could go wrong and anticipate what might bring everything crashing down. She also hoped that the photos would erase any lingering anger and resentment that Ezra was feeling about her forcing her way into his night. Better to ask for forgiveness… If Aria was honest with herself, there was one more reason she was sending him the notes and pics. She was punishing him for telling her she couldn't come in the first place. He'd doubted her ability to overcome the challenges the night presented. So, she was going to challenge him to maintain his composure in the face of her lusty torment.

This story will be about 6 or 7 chapters, I think. I will get the next chapter up when I'm finished with it. Thank you all for your understanding. Blessings to all