a/n Please note that all WitFit entries are unedited. No beta. I don't own Twilight.

***This is about a year and a half after the last chapter, Cordial.

Word Prompt: Bow

Dialogue Flex: "I'll give you a head start."

Using the provided snippet of dialogue, explore what comes to mind, be it a scene, a thought, or something else.

"Dude, you're stressing me out and I'm not even trying to talk to him today."

I was pacing around the cramped cubicle I shared with Alec, eyeing the competition around the office. Four other people were checking Aro's door for activity. That didn't seem too bad but I'd been trying to talk to him for over a month and never could get the one-on-one. Aro rarely spoke directly to the writers he employed - delegating most his directives to his partners, Marcus and Caius, in the progressive, online newspaper I worked at. If you wanted to speak to Aro personally, you had to fight for a moment of his time every Friday when he was leaving for the weekend. He'd call one person's name and they could join him in the elevator on his way out. The system was bizarre but Aro was a powerful in San Francisco. Knowing him and working for him came with connections I needed to secure another job. However, I wasn't sure how willing he would be to let me go. My articles had increased his hits by 20% over the two years I spent working there. I was good and I loved my job but there was something I loved more.

Someone I loved more.

"Seriously, Edward. Sit down," Alec said. "You'll see Jane get up first, you know that." Jane, Aro's assistant always went into his office just before he came out. That was the sign but my lack of success was making me antsy.

"I need to talk to him, Alec, and this process is complete bullshit," I said, sitting down but angling my chair so I could still see Aro's door. "I'd quit but he could really help me get where I'm trying to go."

"Where are you trying to go?"

I didn't have an opportunity to answer him because Jane went inside Aro's office and I shot out of my seat. "Okay here we go," I said, checking out the competition again.

"Hey Edward," Heidi said, creeping up on us.

"Hi Heidi," Alec said a little too enthusiastically. She sneered his way but that didn't matter to him. She was a total bitch but he was hopeless.

"Trying for Aro again this week I see."

I glared at her. "Tell me you aren't looking to speak to him again. He always picks you."

She slithered around the partitioner, all high heeled legs and bared cleavage. I stepped away from her red, lacquered claws as they reached for me.

"Whining doesn't suit you, Edward," she said, irritated. "I'll give you a head start this week if you have a drink with me later."

"Keep dreaming, Heidi," I said, pushing past her as Jane exited the office, followed by the Aro. I heard Heidi clacking right behind me and the others in the office trying to speak to him were already calling his name but I was determined to reach him first.

"Aro," I said quickly, hustling to be closest to him. "Do you have a moment, sir?" I was walking right alongside him with Jane just ahead at the elevator pressing the down button. Heidi had made it to his other side and was already purring her request for his ear. If I wasn't able to get him this week, connections be damned, I was going to quit.

The elevator binged its arrival and by this time, six of us were talking over one another as Aro entered the elevator, Jane handing him his coat and briefcase. He scanned all of us amusedly with his ice, blue eyes. The egotistical bastard got off on being in demand. He was looking at Heidi and I was about to dejectedly head back to my cubicle when he announced a name I wasn't expecting.

"Cullen."

I slid through the closing doors, away from the retreating groans of everyone else who would have to wait another week to talk to him about their personal requests. We only had the elevator ride to talk to him so I had to make this quick.

It was always smart to start with graciousness. "Thank you so much, Aro," I said, clasping my hands and bowing slightly. "I've wanted to speak to you for a while so I appreciate the opportunity."

"Yes, Edward, I know. You might want to get on with it. Kissing my ass doesn't come naturally for you," he said, looking straight ahead with small grin.

"Okay, right," I said a little flustered. "I know I've been an asset to the company and it would be relatively early for me to request-"

"You want more money?"

"No, sir."

"Your own office, then."

"No, sir, I don't want any kind of promotion."

He was perplexed and I knew I needed to just spit it out.

"I know you have contacts in New York and I was hoping you'd help me with getting my foot through the door out there."

Aro was still as a statue, soft jazz music filtering through the speakers were the only sound. I looked up at the floors and saw we were almost at the ground floor but he didn't say a word, making the silence uncomfortable.

I cleared my throat just as the doors opened and Aro walked out into the bustling lobby. My time was up and I had no answer.

"Fuck." I punched the button to my floor roughly. I'd blown my shot and the doors closing felt like doors closing on hope. I was going to need to find another way.