Author's Note: hey you guys this is my first story that isn't a one shot. Let's see how is goes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing (with the exception of Andre and Jake, but we will get to them later.)
Chapter one: The Familiar Man
Ariadne rushes to her night shift at the bar. She recently moved to New York City because she has finally graduated college. Things aren't going as planned. She was supposed to get a job as an architect in the city, make lots of money doing something she loves, find a husband, and live the good life. Instead, she was working at a bar in New York City with her best friend, Andre, who happens to be an extractor. They have dead end jobs and live in small apartments that adjoin. She usually rides the bus with Andre, but she missed it because she came home late from roller derby practice. With her hair in a messy bun wearing her black strapless dress with black ripped tights as her work uniform, she hails a cab and pays him extra to fly over the speed limit to get her to work on time. She throws the money at the driver, bids him thank you, and rushes inside. The bar is packed- it's a classy bar. There are no strippers or bar fights. The bar is a chain that started in Paris. She worked there until she was informed of her parent's murder and rushed to New York where they lived. They were not wealthy or hostile people; they where just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As she rushes in she catches a glimpse of familiar slicked back hair style. She didn't feel like looking further into it- she was here to work, and she was late as it is.
"Ari! There you are!" Andre exclaimed as he hugged her. "What happened to you?" she had to think for a moment about what he meant.
"Oh, you mean the black-eye."
"Yes, the black eye. That wasn't there when we left this morning."
"Yeah." There was something about the man behind Andre that was familiar, she just couldn't place it. He wasn't facing her, so she couldn't see his face, and he wasn't a usual custumer her because he hadn't hugged her, Rita, or Andre, but still familiar…
"Ari! What happened?" she looked back at Andre's concerned face and smirked. He had always looked out for her.
"Andre what happened was I wasn't looking where I was going at Derby practice and got punched in the eye. Are you satisfied?"
"Yep. Now go serve drinks to the guys down there." Andre gestured to the familiar man and some others he was talking to. He gave her a light push, but since she was light is sent her flying down to the other side of the bar where Jake, another coworker caught her.
"Sorry, I forgot you were so small!" Andre called, which made Ariadne and Jake laugh.
"He's gotta point," Jake mused.
"What about Jay?"
"Well you are the smallest one working here Ari."
"I'll let the short comment slide this time."
"Okay shortie," she stuck her tongue out at Jake gave her a light push towards the men she was supposed to be serving.
"Hello, I'm Ariadne. What will you all have tonight?" she asked. She wasn't looking at the men. Then she herd a familiar British voice order a vodka, an unfamiliar French voice order scotch on the rocks and a familiar American voice order a screwdriver. She looked up from the bar counter to see Eames and Arthur.