I've mapped out several stories (this new one, Blue and Hazel, and Clandestine), so be on the lookout for all of that! Also, "Sad" too, which will either be updated tonight or tomorrow!
I was watching a movie today that gave me a little inspiration for this story. I'm not going to say what it is and who the characters were and what the situation was because I want to leave this all as a surprise. I will let you know if some weary subject comes up (which it will). That's the only hint I'm leaving you all.
You know how it works; ten or more reviews and the next chapter will be longer!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. If I did, Aria and Ezra would be on HBO, or at least CW with better sex scenes and there wouldn't be love triangles left and right.
The usual upturned smile on Ezra Fitz's lips wasn't present as he walked down the hallway of Rosewood High School. In fact, he wasn't nearly as jaunty or good humored as he was on most days, unless he was running on barely any sleep and lack of coffee in his system. He'd spruced up that day, actually taking care in what he put on, rather than throwing any old sweater over his head, floor style. His slightly messy hair was taken into account when he'd gotten out of the shower and his jeans were new. And yet, Ezra had still gotten rejected. He didn't want to turn back, but Ezra could still feel the smirk of Aria Montgomery, the junior who he'd taken up courage to pursue rather than any only silly senior that clamored for his attention night and day.
I'm not falling for your tricks, Fitz. Any other girl would, but not me. The boldly spoken words continued to sound through his head, Aria's taunting voice filling his brain. This one wasn't going to be so easy to get over; not after Ezra had witnessed her in the AP English class that they were both enrolled in and reveled in her personality. The lush curls that fell down her back and wide, soulful hazel eyes didn't help much with erasing her from his mind either. Ezra walked up to his locker, knowing that Aria was still a few feet away and laughing with her friends. He could pick out the noise throughout the clattering of the hallway. His nimble fingers twisted the combination to open the locker. Upon grabbing the next needed books, he slammed it shut in pure frustration.
A lock of chestnut hair fell into Aria's face as she raced up the flight of stairs to her office, or well, cubicle at Gellar Publishing House. The twenty three year old grumbled as her ballet flats carried her up more than enough floors, agitated that the elevator just happened to stop working when she entered the building ten minutes prior. The tenth floor came along about twenty minutes past Aria's tolerance level and she pushed open the door to her workspace. It crashed loudly against the doorframe, causing her to jump and all eyes land on her. Quickly, a blush settled over Aria's cheeks, coating her milky skin a soft pink hue. Of course, she noticed the blue eyes peeking out from one of the four offices on the floor and scoffed slightly. How she and Ezra Fitz ended up working alongside each other was a pure mystery to her and one that Aria didn't feel much like delving into. Scoffing under her breath, Aria moved towards her desk, smiling at the few people who continued to look at her, with the exception of Ezra.
Once more, he was the big man on campus. At least this go around, he was the big man on the publishing floor. Senior editor at only twenty four was a big accomplishment; Aria was aware of that. But she wouldn't let Ezra have the satisfaction; she'd made that promise to herself in high school after she rebuffed his offering for a date. Ever since the day in the hallway to her first day of work after moving to New York up to the present, Aria maintained the silent vow and found ways to make him squirm, beating him at his own game. The two continuously went at is in the workplace with Ezra trying to get her to wilt and succumb with Aria fighting back at full force. He was insanely attractive and smart, but the high school version of Ezra Fitz was stuck in her mind, not the successful twenty four year old New Yorker she'd run into five years later.
Aria slipped off the patent leather black flats that she sported for easy walking and shoved her feet into black pumps that made her six inches taller than her five foot two height. They elongated her legs, which helped make the black pencil skirt and sea foam green chiffon blouse with beaded embellishments she was wearing look even better and far more elegant. Stroking the lock of hair that was stuck in her face back again once more, Aria loaded up her computer, allowing the Mac desktop to boot up for a few minutes. At home, she had a simple HP laptop; Macs were far too expensive and she wasn't in the place to go buy herself one with student loans that still had a few dollars and cents left to them to be paid off.
"Don't you look like a ray of sunshine," chimed a voice from over the cubicle walls. Aria's mascara rimmed eyes looked up from the still booting up computer and smiled as she saw the blonde speaking to her. Hanna Marin had become a fast friend the minute she was hired at Gellar Publishing, both first starting off in the brand new world of the workforce. While Hanna was far more interested in fashion, she needed something to get her on her feet after college. Aria, on the other hand, wanted to submerge herself in the world of English entirely by the time she turned thirty. "Seriously, what bit you in the ass this morning?"
The brunette gave a small chuckle as she logged herself into the computer and looked up at Hanna. "Late night and no coffee. It doesn't make for a good Aria." A yawn passed her lips, eyes surveying the room. It looked like Ezra had retreated back into his office, but Aria couldn't be too sure. He was always lurking somewhere, waiting to pounce on her with some quip that she was always readily prepared to go back with and rip him a new one. Most called it flirting, but Aria laughed it off. "Plus the fact that the elevator went out of service the minute I got into the building." Hanna shook her head, blonde hair cascading down her shoulders. She always looked meticulously perfect, making Aria shirk in what she dressed herself in each morning. Hanna looked immaculate today in a white sweater dress and high kneed boots with large earrings adorning her ears.
"I'm sure Fitz will let you go grab a cup of something from the workroom," Hanna winked. Aria rolled her eyes, hating the insinuation in her words. The banter went never went unnoticed in the office. Once, she'd even heard people placing bets on how long it would be until they hooked up, but once she caught their attention, the conversation was cut off immediately. Her computer screen booted up at that exact moment giving Aria perfect incentive to wave Hanna off and back into her cubicle.
"Even if he did, I wouldn't go," she stated simply with the wave of her hand. "I'll talk to you in a bit, Han. I just need to read over a few of these pieces before they're sent to the bigwigs."
Ezra Fitz admittedly had a hard time not letting his attention train to Aria Montgomery several times a day. It wasn't as if he was the type of man to deny his own attraction to her. He had found it as a stroke of good luck when she waltzed her way onto the publishing floor her first day of work; that maybe, just maybe he would be able to win her over in this world, the far more mature and less catty world where social hierarchies didn't overrun the hallways. But the moment he walked up to her desk with a hello in store, she launched the game again. Ezra was disappointed. It was almost as if she was throwing it in his face that she hated him.
But hate was a passionate emotion. And as they said, in order to hate someone, you had to love them too. Now, Ezra wouldn't have said that Aria was in love with him, but there had to be more underlying the hate. After all, there always was in cases such as the tumultuous one they had thrust themselves into since high school.
He wouldn't deny having feelings for her as well. They were the type that fostered in silence; the type that grew as he observed her and her fiery, independent nature. That's what had drawn Ezra to her in the first place; the way she held herself as a junior in high school and now as a young working woman was impeccable compared to others he'd come across. And while Ezra would also admit that he was a bit of a player back in the days, he'd admit that he went through change during college. The preparation for the real world helped him realize that the chasing of girls was a sign that he wanted love; he wanted to find the one person who easily became your world. The one person who could make your heart speed up irrationally just by looking at them lying beside you in bed in the morning.
And for some reason, he felt like Aria Montgomery could've been that person; could be that person provided that she give him a chance. Said chance seemed highly unlikely unless he could show her the type of person he was now rather than the boy she knew growing up.
Every time Ezra tried to go about that he retreated into being the eighteen year old boy with insults and sarcasm right up his sleeve. If he wanted any form of opportunity, he needed to change that and fast.
The doors to the stairs slammed open, causing his attention to stray from that of his computer to the person standing breathless in the doorway. Of course it would be the object of his affections. Ezra watched as Aria gave a small pant after running up and headed to her desk, but not after shooting a death glare straight back into his office. She saw me, Ezra noted with glee before giving a snarky wave back. It was too late though, seeing as she'd already sat down.
He cursed himself for going back to being eighteen years old. Ezra muttered a string of harsh expletives to himself before going back to his desktop and the files he was supposed to send off for printing, but the image of Aria emerging from the door replayed over and over in his mind. She looked well today in a blouse that accented her green eyes and dark hair. Ezra chewed on his lower lip, thinking about the hinted curves that her pencil skirt brought to her waist, his hands longing to run over them. It wasn't fair for fate to bring about someone so tempting and with such an interesting personality, but only for hate and spite rather than allowing him to call her his own. Placing his hands on his temples, Ezra rubbed slowly in circular motions to bring about some form of peace, at least until lunch time. Then he'd figure out what to do about Aria Montgomery.
By the time lunch rolled around, Aria had already slipped off her pumps in exchange for her flats. They seemed to squeeze her toes in all the most uncomfortable places and she regretted ever buying them with her very first paycheck. The brand name didn't make them any more comfortable. She'd have to ask Hanna if she'd like to inherit them, though Aria wasn't sure if her friend didn't own them already. The blonde seemed to own every pair of designer shoe under the sun. Sometimes, she oft wondered how someone with the same salary could afford multiple pairs of such shoes, but Hanna came from money whereas Aria didn't. Aria came from a divorced set of parents, her mother being a curator for a local art gallery and her father being a college professor. Their lack of work in marriage was the deep rooted reason Aria refused to believe that real love could be out there.
Which was way she had rebuffed Ezra Fitz in the first place. He was exactly her type; dark hair, bright blue eyes that seemed to catch your glance and hold your stare for hours and a boyish smile with the English credentials to match. He could very well be the right man for her, but Aria wouldn't let herself believe it, even if he had changed since high school. She didn't want to put her heart on the line only to be crushed the way her father had crushed her mother with a slip of infidelity.
"Are you going to eat in the cafeteria," Hanna asked, perking up from her next door desk. Why couldn't he chase her was something Aria often asked herself when looking at her blonde cohort. Hanna was the all American beauty with the clothing to match. While Aria would rather spend a Friday night home with a book and an old film, Hanna went out clubbing in sparkly dresses. She was bright and golden while Aria was sarcastic and dry humored. She never viewed herself as beautiful, but Hanna; Hanna was. And it baffled her that an attractive guy like Ezra would rather have the bookworm rather than the beauty.
Aria shook her head. "I think I'm going to run out to Chop't; get a salad. I want to catch a bit of fresh air." It was turning to September, but the city was still pulsing with warm. While the weather was still gorgeous Aria liked to spend her time in Central Park soaking up some sun before heading inside to the cooperate world once more. "You're more than welcome to come along." Aria watched as Hanna shook her blonde curls and then waved over her shoulder towards a man getting up from his desk with cropped, sandy colored hair.
"That's alright. I have a lunch date with this guy, Cole. He's own our floor." She gave another wave to the man, Cole, who seemed to be waiting.
"Enjoy yourself" Aria spoke sincerely as she pushed up from her desk and gave her friend a quick wave, and one that was far less flirty than those that Cole was sending at that. They had an hour for lunch, but that was plenty of enough time for Aria to grab her salad and eat in the park and grab a coffee on the way back. She didn't mind being by herself; she shared an apartment on the Upper West Side with her roommate Spencer and Spencer's boyfriend, Wren basically lived there along with them. It was seldom that she got a quiet moment to herself. As Aria hoisted her purse over her shoulder, a hand caught her wrist. The brunette rolled her eyes, knowing exactly whose hand was captured her arm.
"Yes, Ezra," she asked, clearly irritated. This wasn't how Aria intended to start her lunch break.
"I'm hurt," he said, the pout clear in his voice. Turning around, Aria wrenched her arm from his hand, but that didn't make Ezra budge from his spot on the floor. "And here I thought you'd be thrilled to see me."
Putting a sickly sweet smile on her face, Aria tiled her head to the side. "The only time I'd ever be thrilled to see the likes of you involves being fired and packing up that pretty oak desk of yours."
"How sweet," Ezra quipped. "Actually, I have something to ask you." He swallowed nervously whilst making sure the word vomit he was feeling didn't come falling out in a split second. "I know that you probably hate me, but I'm not the guy you knew in high school. And while all the fighting and come backs are fun, I'd like to show you who I really am, provided that you give me a chance." Ezra watched as Aria's lips parted to say something, but something in her eyes softened, outweighing the sarcastic comment that was about to fall from her mouth. He smiled, knowing that he was reeling her in. "They're playing It Happened One Night at Bryant Park tonight and I was wondering if you'd want to come with me. It's not a date unless you want it to be," Ezra added with a smirk.
Aria gulped, her mouth dry and words come from her head. Any other day, she would've rejected him, but something in Ezra's facial expression told her otherwise. He wasn't joking and he wasn't setting her up. Ultimately, she knew that she'd have to give him the time of day at some point. Opening her mouth to give her answer, Ezra's pointer finger fell upon her lips to quiet her. The pad of his finger was soft, leaving the feeling of his lips to her imagination. Suddenly, Aria felt herself wondering what it would feel like to kiss him.
"You don't have to say a word," Ezra said. "If you show up tonight, I'll know your answer. Goodbye, Aria." And in the matter of seconds, he sauntered off in the direction of the elevator, leaving Aria totally and completely out of her element. Her mind raced, but one clear thing stuck out in her mind; she would be going to the park tonight and she would see just what Ezra Fitz was made up. Something deep inside herself told Aria that he wasn't bullshitting her.
And even though the elevator was restored, Aria took the stairs.