Hi everyone! So thank you for all the reviews once again! I say this every time and i mean it every time. Thank you to the guest reviewers as well who I can't thank via PM and a special thank you to the guest reviewer Cici who always writes really great reviews and i thought seeing as I can't thank you any other way, i would do it now!
Anyway! I hope you all like this chapter! This is where the ball definitely starts to get rolling, by next chapter you may or may not have some Paily romance going on :P I kind of wanted to plant some seeds about something else I'm going to focus on in the next phase of the story. Hope you're all having a great week so far, please read and review! I hope you like it :)
"So she kissed you on the cheek and you just let her walk away" Spencer said as they walked from her kitchen to the lounge
room with cups of tea where Aria was sitting on the couch waiting for them
"I don't know what is wrong with me" Paige said shaking her head in frustration "This has happened twice. It's like I just
freeze up around her and I say the wrong things. I don't know if I have ever behaved like this…it's like she's my kryptonite or
something"
"Say the wrong things?" Aria asked raising her eyebrows "What did you say wrong to her?"
"So last night, Emily kind of wondered what we are and I heard her talking to Hanna earlier saying she didn't want to rush
into anything and that she wasn't sure if she was ready to get into a relationship so I froze when she asked me and pretty
much spat back those words to her" Paige said shaking her head "But now I'm not sure what I heard because her face almost
dropped when I said that to her. I might have messed up"
"Foot in your mouth again McCullers?" Spencer joked
"Spence" Aria warned "Don't worry Paige, there's plenty of time to talk to her again and maybe it was good that you said
that. Maybe she will think that you're really thinking about this and I know you do actually want to take your time "
"I said it because I didn't want to pressure her or make her feel like I was crazy when I thought she still wanted to wait"
Paige replied "I am more than happy to stay like this and be her friend for a while but I would love to take her out on a date,
that girl is amazing"
"Wow, Paige you really like her" Spencer said leaning forward in her chair
"Yeah, I do like her" Paige nodded
"I think my favourite part was how Hanna invited you over and you had no idea Emily was there" Spencer said with a smile
"That is genius. I think I should have thought of that before, perfection"
"She always has been colourful" Aria said laughing
"She's really nice" Paige nodded with a smile "I mean it was nice what she did, her heart was in the right place"
"Paige if it meant to be then it will happen" Aria said comfortingly
"Sometimes you have to make it happen though" Spencer said "Don't let her get away"
"I know" Paige groaned
"So when is your interview for Women's health?" Spencer asked
"Sometime this week, my manager is going to let me know" Paige said "How's Toby?"
"He's fine" Spencer said with a pause "Though he hasn't been acting like himself"
"Why's that?" Paige asked raising her eyebrow
"I'm not sure, he's been working with Mona a bit at work and he seems to be really busy these days" Spencer said shaking
her head "I mean I know that he's just busy but he hardly even answers my calls during the day if I have to contact him, we
don't get as much time to ourselves because he's seemingly always busy"
"I'm sure he's just working really hard" Aria said "Nothing to worry about Spence, he would never do anything to hurt you"
"Did you want me to drop in and talk to him?" Paige asked "Maybe get some information or something out of him?"
"No, it's fine" Spencer shook her head "I'm sure it's nothing"
That afternoon Paige made her way to Toby's work, Spencer said no but Paige wasn't going to tell Spencer that she went. He
was a landscaper working on a big project of a park and Mona hired his company for the job. She pulled up in front of the park
finding Toby standing next to Mona, laughing with each other as she handed him a brown paper bag.
She got out of her car, walking over to Toby with a small smile
"What's funny?" Paige asked as she stood behind them
"Paige" Toby said turning around to face her, the smile almost dropping from his face
"Toby I have to get back to work" Mona said slickly with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder quickly "You're doing a great
job"
"Thanks" Toby said nodding
"So, what was the joke?" Paige asked looking to Toby again once Mona had walked away
"More of a had to be there moment" Toby replied shrugging "What are you doing on this side of town?"
"I was just driving past and saw your truck, thought I would say hi" Paige shrugged "I haven't seen you in a while"
"I've been really busy" Toby shrugged
"So Spencer said" Paige nodded "The park looks good"
"Thanks" Toby smiled "I've been working really hard"
"So Mona just came by to check your progress?" Paige asked
"She's my boss" Toby shrugged "She bought me lunch because I'm doing such a great job. I'm lucky she hired me"
"Yeah" Paige nodded again "Toby I think Spencer misses you"
"Did she send you here to check on me?" Toby joked
"No, she did mention you have been working a lot though" Paige shrugged "Have you spoken to her about it?"
"No" Toby shrugged
"I just…I know what it's like to be in her situation right now and what she could be thinking, isn't fun" Paige replied cautiously
"Paige, this relationship isn't anything like your old one with Holly" Toby replied defensively "I would never hurt Spencer
intentionally"
"I know" Paige replied quickly "I'm not saying you would, I'm just saying that you should just make sure Spencer knows
that"
"Listen Paige, I have to get back to work" Toby sighed
"Toby I only came here to be a friend to you" Paige replied "Don't shut me out like that"
"I'm not shutting you out, I have to work" Toby grumbled
"Okay…okay fine but just think about what I said" Paige nodded taking a few steps away from Toby
"I'll talk to Spence" Toby called as Paige reached her car
"Good" Paige replied with a smile, turning back to her friend
It was Saturday afternoon and Paige was meeting the journalist from Women's health at the brew just after lunch time
before she went out shopping with Emily because Aria's birthday was coming up and Paige thought that Emily might know
more about fashion than she did plus Paige hated going shopping by herself. She thought that she could make it fun by taking
Emily so she bribed Emily with promise of paying for dinner but she didn't need much convincing.
Paige ordered her coffee and she sat down at her regular table that was in the corner of the brew, which allowed for some
privacy from the rest of the coffee shop.
"Paige McCullers" A beautiful blonde woman said with a charming smile as she stopped in front of Paige's table
"Hi" Paige said with a small smile "Can I help you?"
"I'm Samara, I'm the journalist for Women's Health" She said holding her hand out
"Oh, nice to meet you" Paige replied as she stood to shake Samara's hand "You find the place okay?"
"Easier than you know" Samara said with a smile sitting down across from Paige "You like this place?"
"I love this place" Paige replied nodding "I'm here all the time. So what am I in for today?"
"Just some questions about what you've been doing since you retired" Samara shuffled herself a little closer to Paige as she
placed her phone on the table, pulling out a notepad for extra notes "Nothing too difficult"
"Great" Paige nodded "Did you want to order anything?"
"I'm good thanks" Samara nodded as well "Now the photographer called me saying he was running really late so he won't be
able to join us but if we can meet up later tonight, he can meet us then?"
"Oh, okay" Paige replied scratching her head quickly
"Did you have plans?" Samara asked
"Not as such, this afternoon I do after and it was going to go into tonight but I guess I can postpone my dinner plans" Paige
shook her head "I guess that'll work"
"Good" Samara replied nodding as she hit record on her phone "So you've been coaching here since you retired?"
"I'm Assistant coach the Sharks swim team at Rosewood High" Paige replied "And I am teaching at the local swim school"
"How have you been able to keep your fitness from when you were training every day?" Samara asked
"I like to go for runs and to swim a lot but I'm certainly not at the level I was before I had my surgery and during the
Olympics" Paige shook her head "I haven't let myself slip too much though, I'm eating well and keeping fit. I want to be a
good example to the kids I'm coaching"
"Off the record" Samara said pressing the record button again to turn it off "Did you decide to come back here for a particular
reason?"
"Is anything ever really off the record?" Paige asked raising an eyebrow
"This will be" Samara replied
"This was my home before I left here when I was a teenager" Paige shrugged "I have people here I care about so I thought it
was time to make the move"
"And you're not getting bored with this place?" Samara asked leaning forward towards Paige
"No" Paige shook her head
"Any girls follow you here?" Samara asked with a smirk
"None that I know of" Paige replied awkwardly
"Come on, you can't possibly be single. Look at you; you're young, hot, successful…you're an Olympian"
"I haven't been in a relationship in a long time" Paige shrugged before she paused "And I just told that to a journalist"
"Off the record" Samara said with a smile as she held her phone up "See"
"Yeah but doesn't mean you won't remember it" Paige shook her head
"Don't worry" Samara said shaking her head "I'm just surprised"
"I'm not that sought after" Paige laughed "I'm happy with my life right now anyway"
"Do you miss having people around you all the time?" Samara asked
"Back on the record?" Paige asked
"Yes" Samara hit record again
"It was difficult because I had people tell me what I could eat and what I couldn't, how long I had to train and everything like
that, then it was gone" Paige replied "But I knew that was going to happen"
"Samara?" She noticed Emily who was now standing next to the table she was sitting at
"Emily Fields" Samara said with a small smile
"Paige, what is going on?" Emily asked
"I'm doing my interview for women's health" Paige shrugged with an oblivious smile
"Of course you decided to take this story and come back here" Emily said rolling her eyes at Samara "You can't help yourself"
"I was just asking Paige here how she hadn't become bored of this place yet" Samara began before she looked Emily up and
down quickly "And the people in it too"
"Wait" Paige said with wide eyes "You're Samara. The Samara…Oh"
"I didn't know you two knew each other" Samara said looking at Paige with a smile
"I have to go" Emily said turning around as quickly as she walked in
"Emily" Paige said as she walked away but she didn't stop.
She followed Emily out of the brew to her car where she fumbled for her keys "Em, wait"
Emily stopped and she turned around with her arms crossed, hostility covering her features
"Em I had no idea it was her" Paige replied shaking her head "If I had, I wouldn't have agreed to the interview"
"Did you not pick it up?" Emily asked
"There is more than one blonde girl in the country named Samara" Paige said honestly "How was I supposed to know that is
was her?"
"I don't know" Emily shook her head with a sigh "I'm sorry…it's the first time I've seen her since we broke up"
"Well I'm sorry you had to, I'm sorry that I'm the reason she's here" Paige replied
"She's here because she wants to be, it has nothing to do with you" Emily said shaking her head "She would have just taken
the story because she saw where you were located"
"You're early" Paige noted as she took a step towards Emily slowly
"I thought I could just wait for you" Emily shrugged
"Well how long can you wait?" Paige asked trying to lighten Emily's mood
"You're going back in there?" Emily asked raising her eyebrow
"Well I can't just walk away from an interview" Paige said shaking her head "No matter who is interviewing me, my manager
worked really hard to get me this and I can't just walk away from it. As much as I would like to now knowing who is
interviewing me"
"Yeah, okay" Emily nodded with a sigh "Just text me when you're done, I'm going to go home"
"Em if I had known it was her before I started I wouldn't have come" Paige repeated "I swear"
"I'll see you later" Emily mumbled as she turned around and walked to her car
Paige hesitated for a moment watching Emily leave but she turned back towards the brew and dragged her feet inside to see
her coffee sitting there waiting with Samara who was making notes with a smile on her face
"You two know each other?" Samara asked as Paige sat back down
"Yeah" Paige nodded "I just want to keep this business okay, then I'm gone""
"Why was she angry?" Samara pushed "Are you two dating or something? Or was she just that unhappy to see me"
"I'm not answering that to you because of your history with Emily let alone you being a journalist" Paige shook her head "I
have been around people like you for a long time, I know how you work. Nothing is ever off the record if it makes a good
story. Frankly though, if I were her, I wouldn't be happy to see you either"
"Maybe you're playing the game more than I am" Samara said raising an eyebrow
"I'm not playing any games" Paige shook her head
"Then why didn't you leave with her?" Samara asked "You planning on making her jealous?"
"I'm being a professional" Paige replied shaking her head "Don't make me regret staying to finish this interview"
Paige wasn't very responsive for the rest of the interview towards Samara but Paige couldn't really go anywhere. They began
packing up and Paige stood quickly, tucking in her chair.
"So tonight, meet back here?" Samara asked
"I don't think that's a good idea" Paige replied shaking her head
"Paige the photographer needs to discuss the shoot for the spread" Samara said "Don't worry, you won't be spending too
much time with me. I will be gone as soon as he gets here. I know you don't like me, which I think is unreasonable but you
didn't just do that interview to quit now"
"Fine" Paige nodded "What time?"
"Meet here at 7" Samara said as she placed her phone in her pocket "See you then"
"Yeah, see you then" Paige mumbled
Instead of texting Emily that she had finished her interview, she went straight to Emily's house, knocking on the door lightly
as soon as she arrived.
Emily opened the door and she paused for a moment when she saw Paige
"I thought it might be better if I come here and beg for forgiveness in person" Paige said shyly
"Paige, you have nothing really to be sorry for" Emily shrugged "I'm the sorry one, I guess I just over reacted to seeing
Samara back"
"If I had any idea Em…" Paige began
"Yeah I know" Emily nodded stopping Paige in her apology "Of course she was given this job to come back here, of course"
"I couldn't really be myself in the interview" Paige commented "Not after finding out she was the one who broke your heart. I
didn't want to give her any leverage"
"I get it, you had to be a professional and I get that" Emily nodded "At least that's done with right?"
"Well…maybe not exactly" Paige replied slowly
"What do you mean?" Emily asked raising her eyebrows, her arms folding again defensively
"Well I have to meet her later with the photographer" Paige said quietly "But only just for like 10 minutes, it's like she wont
even be there. She'll be gone as soon as he gets there"
"She'll make herself known" Emily scoffed
"Emily I'm not sure what you want me to do here. I mean it's not like I knew it was going to be here when I agreed to this
and I can't just quit halfway through this process" Paige said shaking her head with a frustrated sigh "I mean…"
"We're not even dating?" Emily offered, trying to finish Paige's sentence
"Well I was going to say it's not like I want anything to do with her" Paige replied shaking her head "I don't want her at all. Is
this why you're angry at me?"
"Then what do you want, Paige?" Emily asked in a frustrated tone "I don't like games"
"I'm not playing games with you Emily" Paige shook her head as she took a step towards Emily "I have been honest and
truthful with you since I got here. This is a work thing, if you had to defend Holly, I wouldn't think anything of it because it's
your job. I know that I haven't been here that long and we haven't been friends for that long but I have been honest with
you the whole time. I would never try to hurt you"
"This is a different situation. Holly is married, Samara is obviously single and she's trying to make a move on you" Emily said
"Are you serious?" Paige asked clearly beginning to become frustrated herself "Sure, she may be a flirt but I have no interest
in her, what so ever. I didn't even know who she was until you arrived today. I wouldn't have given her a second thought"
"Paige I understand you don't want to rush anything but just don't lead me on okay?" Emily asked "Because I really like you"
"I'm not leading you on, I never would" Paige said shaking her head "I thought that you weren't ready for us to be more than
friends, I thought that you wanted me to wait"
Like clockwork, Paige's phone began to ring and Emily looked down to her feet
"You should get that" Emily said
"Emily" Paige said shaking her head
Without another word, Emily closed her door before Paige could speak again
"Emily" Paige called knocking on the door
Paige looked down to her phone and saw her Manager's name come up on the screen and she frowned
"I hope this is really important" Paige answered quickly
"How did the interview go?" He asked
"It was horrible Jacob" Paige said as she backed away from Emily's door, turning around to face her car "I don't want to go
through with it, I don't want to have to go back and deal with her again"
"Why not?" He asked
"The journalist is a piece of work" Paige said summarizing her issue with Samara
"Well she's a journalist" He said jokingly
"Not helping" Paige replied
"Okay, why don't you just give it one more try when the photographer gets there tonight and then if she is as bad as you say
then you can leave" Jacob said with a sigh "We just worked really hard to negotiate this interview for you and you worked
really hard to get to this place where magazines like Women's health want to interview you"
"I know" Paige said placing her head in her free hand, releasing a loud sigh herself
"Give it another shot" He replied "Just one more shot"
"Okay, I'll call you after" Paige said "Bye Jacob"
"Cya"
Paige looked back to Emily's house with a sigh and she got in her car to leave but not without a lot of hesitation.
Right! So what did we think? So I promise that by the end of the next chapter the whole Samara thing will be resolved! Please review! I will have an update in a few days as per usual.
Thank you for reading! Have a great Friday eve (that's what I call Thursday anyway...which is what it is here in 30 minutes)
Dani :)