(A/N:) So sorry about my extreme absence! School has started and I utterly underestimated how much work school would be! But (finally) here is the chapter where Ezra meets John and Chloe! Enjoy! Don't forget to review at the end! : )
7.
A few weeks later, Aria rushed around her house to get ready for work. She was running late and even though she doubted her boss would care, she didn't want to slack off. And she had an important meeting today. As Aria bustled around her bedroom, John tried to get her attention.
"Aria?" he asked as she threw on a blazer. She casually ignored him for the fifth time in the last couple minutes. He tried again, "Aria, can you listen to me for one damn second?!"
Sighing, Aria shrugged off the blazer, deciding it didn't flatter her outfit. "What? I'm kind of in a hurry."
"Chloe's sick with a high fever," John explained, tying his tie. "And, by the way, I'm getting sick of playing 'Mr. Mom.'"
Aria scoffed and walked out of her large closet, "Sorry I'm making you care about your children."
John glared at her and gritted his teeth, "I didn't mean it like that. I meant, you said once you started this job, we would share the parenting responsibilities. But recently, it seems like your dumping everything on me." Aria just stayed silent as she began to do her makeup. John huffed, "Dammit, Aria! Why are you acting like this? You're distant, you're never around…"
"It's because I got a job!" Aria yelled back. "You should be happy for me!"
John threw his hands up in frustration and grabbed his briefcase. "You know what, Aria? Since you're now better than everyone else, you can figure out what to do. I'm going to work. See you later."
"John, you can't go," Aria shouted. "Chloe's sick and I've gotta get to work, I have a meeting today!"
Her husband just turned briefly and remarked, "Maybe I have a meeting, too. And it's not like you're the one whose income actually matters. I pay the bills, I'm going to work."
Aria's jaw dropped at the statement. He made it sound like he spoiled her and paid for everything in their relationship. What was this, the fifty's? But before she could say something back, he was down the stairs and out the door.
Reluctantly, Aria sulked out of her bedroom and towards her kids' rooms. She had no clue what she was planning to do. Aria could not afford to miss this meeting and, frankly, she didn't want to not see Ezra. She got so used to seeing them that it would almost be weird not seeing him. It actually reminded her of when he was her teacher. She had gotten to see him every week day no matter what. Thanks to him, she had had perfect attendance every time he had been her teacher.
After thinking it over, Aria decided on just bringing Chloe to work with her. It wasn't like she was a baby, she could sit in her office and wait. And after the meeting – and maybe a brief conversation with Ezra – she could take the day off, bring Chloe back home, and care for her like the great mother she told herself she was.
XXXX
After getting ready and dropping Matt off at school, Aria lead a sniffly, coughing, warm Chloe into her office building. Chloe had seemed a little angry being dragged off to her mom's work, but Aria just ignored it.
They were a few minutes late and Aria was power walking like crazy towards the elevator. "Mom, can you slow down?" Chloe pleaded, trying to keep up.
"Sorry, it's just that I'm late and the meeting's probably already started."
Eventually, the mother and daughter had reached her office and Aria tried to make Chloe comfortable. "Okay, there's a few granola bars in the top left drawer if you're hungry and the office is a little cold, so I brought you a blanket from home. The meeting shouldn't last too long, so you can go online or just play on your phone until it's over. And once it is, we can get some lunch or head home, okay?"
Chloe's eyes were wide at how rushed her mother had just spoke and nodded. "Okay."
Aria smiled before heading to the conference room and wished that they hadn't started yet. The last thing she wanted was for her to walk in and everybody stare at her with deer in the headlight expressions.
But sure enough, once she walked in, that's what happened. She nervously cleared her throat before sitting in a seat next to Ezra, which she had guessed her saved for her. Once she was situated, she leaned over to Ezra. "I am so sorry I'm late."
"Don't worry about it," he smiled. "Someone usually is."
The meeting carried on and the head of the company, Lynn Beck, began to rattle on about some new topic. Aria almost dozed off before Lynn asked, "Mr. Fitz, did you bring those forms."
Ezra shook his head, "I forgot them in my office, sorry."
"Could you go get them real quick?"
Ezra nodded and headed out of the room. As he walked towards his office, he heard a few coughs come from Aria's office space. Confused, Ezra looked inside and saw a young girl who he could immediately tell was her daughter. She had the same button nose and soft eyes as her mother.
Uncomfortable by the stranger's gaze, Chloe stuttered, "Um, can I – can I help you?"
"Sorry," Ezra apologized, realizing he had been staring. "Are you Aria's daughter?"
"Yeah…" Chloe said cautiously. "Uh, I'm sick, so she took me with her to work."
"Oh, okay," Ezra mumbled nervously. He glanced at the chair she was sitting in and grimaced, "That chair isn't really the most comfortable and it's cold out here. If you want, you can wait in my office. My chair's at least got cushioning."
"Uh, I told my mom-" Chloe began.
Ezra waved the younger girl off. "Don't worry about it, she won't mind. I can tell her when I get back to the meeting."
Contemplating, Chloe did think about how stiff the chair was. "Okay."
XXXX
Lynn Beck dismissed the meeting and the workers dispersed. Ezra walked out beside Aria and asked, "So did you enjoy your first meeting?"
Aria laughed softly. "As much as anyone could enjoy a meeting."
As they walked back to her office space, Aria grew worried when she didn't see Chloe. Her head whipped around, urgently searching for her daughter. Ezra gently patted her arm and explained, "Oh, when I came out to get the forms, I asked her if she wanted to stay in my office since it's not as small. I forgot to tell you."
"That was nice of you," Aria smiled.
Ezra shrugged and they began to walk to his office. On the way, he bumped Aria's arm. "She looks like you a lot."
"People actually say she looks more like her father," Aria replied. "I think she looks like me too, though."
Ezra clenched his jaw thinking about Aria having kids with another man, but tried to ignore the jealous feeling. He had no one to blame but himself. Ezra had always known she would be a great mom as well, and he didn't expect her to just never move on from him.
As they neared his office, Aria began to panic. Absolutely no one she had encountered after she left Rosewood knew about her and Ezra being together and she kind of wanted to keep it that way. Even though he was in her life, Ezra was part of a past Aria didn't want people to know about.
"Um, did you tell Chloe that we were together?" Aria asked nervously.
Ezra narrowed his eyes at the question. "No, I just offered her my office because it was more comfortable and that I worked with her mom." Aria nodded before looking away from his inquisitive gaze. Ezra wondered why she had even asked the question.
Stepping inside Ezra's office, Chloe briefly looked up from her phone and acknowledged her mother. "Hey, mom."
Aria smiled and motioned to Ezra. "I guess you two have already sort of met, but this is Ezra Fitz, my boss."
Chloe smiled, "I'm Chloe." After a pause, she looked to her mother. "Dad's here."
Her heart stopped. Here where? At her office? Did John personally want to drag her away from her job? "Why?"
"He texted me and asked if you stayed home with me. I told him you took me here and he said he'd come pick me up since his meeting got canceled."
Aria stammered, "S-so he's here?"
"Yeah, he texted me that he was coming up a few minutes ago. He's probably just looking for the office… room 317, right?"
Ezra tore his gaze away from Aria and nodded, "Yeah, that's it."
As if on cue, there was a knock on the office door. The three turned to look at the person and Aria gulped at the sight of John. This was her worst nightmare coming true; John meeting Ezra. Knowing that the two men in the room were the two men she'd loved most made her uncomfortable and Aria wanted to get out. Sure, John never even knew about Ezra, but it still felt like the air was thick with tension.
Aria coughed a little before motioning from John to Ezra. "Um, John, this is Ezra. Ezra's my boss."
Ezra wondered if John knew that he was the person Aria had been with for years and if John knew about him at all. Judging on the amicable reaction, he could guess Aria had never mentioned him to John, and guessed she had never mentioned him to Chloe either, due to the question from earlier.
Sticking his hand out, he shook Aria's husband's hand. Aria's husband. Ezra never expected to think of that position without thinking of himself.
The man shook his hand and stated his name, "John Curtis… It's nice to finally meet you." Ezra briefly wondered if John did know about himself and Aria and was trying to keep it amicable. "Aria said her boss was great. It's good to meet the person who's keeping her from home," John clarified jokingly but Aria could tell he wasn't kidding.
She gently slapped his arm, "John…"
"It's true," John chuckled. "I've barely seen you since you started the job."
Ezra could tell Aria was mad at the comment and it was pretty much confirmed when she muttered, "Not here, John."
John just shrugged before John offered, "You know, Ezra, you should come over for dinner some time. Aria's a terrific cook."
Ezra flashbacked to the numerous meals she made him. Aria had cooked everything from stir fry, enhanced macaroni, vegan lasagna, to numerous cakes. Ezra thought on how one time, Aria and him had baked brownies completely naked and ended up covering each other in chocolate. He stifled a laugh at the memory and wondered if Aria ever baked naked with John.
"I'm sure she is," Ezra said back, glancing knowingly at Aria.
John continued, "She has a weird vegan casserole planned tomorrow for dinner, but on Thursday I think she's making some kind of chicken. You should come over for dinner."
Aria was standing completely still, awaiting Ezra's next words. This little meeting was awkward enough; Aria couldn't imagine eating dinner with her family and Ezra.
Ezra, clearly not getting the mental messages Aria was sending him, nodded. "I'd love to."
(A/N:) Uh oh… how do you think this dinner is gonna go? And do you think John and/or Chloe picked up on the fact that Aria and Ezra were once a thing? Sound off in the reviews below!
PS , I have the next 2 and a half chapters written so I'll update as soon as I get another free moment! I will give a sneak peek though from the next chapter just to hold you over since I had left you all hanging for so long! Oh and not next chapter, but the one after that has some serious Ezria ;)
"I mean, we did use to date…" Aria continued.
Ezra protested, "But your husband doesn't know that, right?"
"No, I haven't ever talked about you," Aria admitted shyly. "I never wanted to just because it hurt."
Ezra gulped down the lump in his throat and questioned quietly, "Does it still hurt now?"