Previously on Move– Read Chapter 7 HERE

Aria hears a knock at her door.

“Come in,” she says sitting up.

Yolanda peeks her head in, “Hey, you ok?”

“Yea. Just internally freaking out a bit, I start work tomorrow and I just don’t know if I should act like the kiss never happened or get the awkwardness out of the way.”

“Hmm, I get what your saying…it’s kind of a tough spot,” Yolanda says coming in and sitting on the edge of Aria’s bed.

“And I know, I put myself in it. I know it was not my finest moment.”

“Maybe not,” Yolanda says laughing.

“What do you think I should do?”

“I think you just need to rip off the Band-Aid.  Acknowledge that the kiss happened and then just move on right past it. Maybe you’ll be able to establish a professional relationship. Acting like it didn’t happen…well I saw the kiss there’s no denying that you were both very invested,” she says laughing.

Aria smiles.

“You really are starting to catch feelings here aren’t you?” Yolanda asks trying to read her.

“I don’t know. I mean I barely know him. But when we kissed it was just…Oh it was really good.” Aria says her smile beaming.

“Best you ever had?”

“Oh definitely.” Aria says with a laugh.

Yolanda laughs along with her cousin as the room falls silent and Aria’s demeanor suddenly dulls.

“What is it?”

“As much as I would love to explore this new prospect, and I really really would love to kiss him again. I just can’t let myself get wrapped up in something that’s going to take my attention away from the showcase. I’ve already had to slack off a bit, because I’ve been needing to find work to pay for the academy.”

“You know that I can always help you…”

“Yoyo stop it, ok. I love you, but you have to stop taking care of everyone, you already have your sister to take care of you don’t need me mooching off of you anymore.”

“Hey, you are just as much my sister as Layla is. We’re all family, and I know that if roles were reversed you’d do the same for me.”

“Of course.”

“Ok so, the offer stands, if you ever need anything, you come to me. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Aria smiles and she hugs her cousin.

A knock is heard at the door again, as Layla pops her head in.

“There you guys are,” she says bouncing in and jumping on top of them, as they both laugh and groan.

“So are you ready for your first day of work with the sexy millionaire?”

Aria just covers her face as the girls laugh.

“Your gonna be just fine, just remember, rip off the Band-Aid.” Yolanda says.

***

Aria anxiously stands in the elevator as she watches the numbers increase. Her stomach twirling in knots.

Liam stands in his office as he prepares his work to do list. He glances at the clock, Aria’s first day starts in just a few short minutes.

His palms begin to sweat, his heart begins to beat faster as he hears the elevator ding and her heels click on the titled floor.

He stands, buttoning his jacket he walks to meet her at her desk.

“Aria, good morning,” he says unable to stifle the grin spreading across his face.

“Good morning, Mr. Whitmore,” she says smiling slightly, very reserved.

Liam notices, his eyes glance around the rest of the floor as other employees are hard at work tapping away at their computers, answering phone calls, and settling into the day’s busy routine.

“Aria why don’t you come into my office, there are some things we should discuss before we get started.”

“Ok,” she says weary as she walks past him, he smells her Lavender perfume.

“Have a seat, please,” he says as he closes the door behind him.

Aria notices and suddenly she is very aware of the fact that she and Liam are alone. She decides to jump into a normalized work related topic to cut the tension.

“So I did fill out all the forms you had requested. I know I faxed them to you, but I have hard copies as well in case you…” she says rummaging through her work bag.

“Aria…”

Aria stops and looks up at him, as he takes a seat across from her.

“Aria I-“

“Your gonna talk about the kiss, aren’t you?” Aria says biting her lower lip as she looks away nervously.

“We don’t have to…” he says backing off as his eyes glue it’s glare to her lips for a beat

“No, we should. We should talk about it, Rip the Band-Aid off,” Aria says with a laugh.

“Ok, good. Yea that’s what I was thinking too,” he says with a smile. 

“Ok well I just want you to know that, I’m not the kind of girl that will sleep her way up the job ladder.”

“Oh gosh, I didn’t think you were.”

“Ok good.” she says glad to hear that.

“And I’m not the kind of boss who pursues his employees.”

“I figured as much.”

“Ok good,” he says letting out a sigh of relief.

“I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, Liam, please you didn’t. I kissed you too, it was a mutual thing.”

Liam smiles at the realization, but also at the fact that she used his first name.

“But- none of that changes the fact that we did kiss, and even though I really enjoyed it-” Aria says pausing as her eyes lock onto his.

“I really enjoyed it too,” Liam says glaring back.

“It shouldn’t have happened. I’m your employee and your my boss and I wouldn’t want that to compromise my job here or yours.”

“I understand and I completely agree, it shouldn’t have happened.”

“Ok so can we just act like it never did.”

“If that’s what you want.”

“Ok good, so we will just be our professional selves and I will get to work,” Aria says as she stands.

“Yes, let me show you how to work the phones,” he says walking her out.

***

Aria sits at her desk as she sifts through some emails, forwarding the important ones to Liam. Her phone rings.

“Hello Whitmore Ink, Aria speaking, how may I help you?”

“Where’s Anne?” a very stern, female voice responds.

“Anne is on vacation at the moment, I am filling in for her while she’s away. Can I ask who’s speaking?”

“This is Gertrude Whitmore, Liam’s mum, put me through at once.”

“Oh, um, yes of course, please hold.”

“I do not hold-” she begins to say as Aria flicks a switch.

Liam sits at his desk running his hands through his hair as he stares at his computer screen trying to scrunch sales numbers.

Aria’s voice gracefully comes through his phone. He smiles, loving the fact that she is there.

“Mr. Whitmore, I have your mother on line 1, she sounds rather urgent.”

Liam smirks, knowingly.

“Aria love my mother always sounds urgent, I’ll take it, thank you.”

Liam picks up his phone.

“Mum, how are you?”

“Who is this Aria? Why does she not know how to do her bloody job. How hard is it to press a few buttons.”

Gertrude sits in her regal home office as she admires her manicure while spewing insults.

“Mother, retract please, she’s new and she’s doing quite well.”

“Well please do remind her, I do not hold. Not ever.”

“Yes mum,” he says rolling his eyes.

***

Aria knocks on Liam’s door.

“Come in,” he says looking up as Aria walks in shutting the door behind her.

“I am so sorry about your Mom, I didn’t know who she was and then I didn’t know if you were busy, so I-“

“Aria, it’s ok,” he says laughing and standing up. “Really, she is a handful, just ask my sister.”

Aria smiles, standing there awkwardly.

“Ok, well I’m sorry again, I should get back to work,” she says starting to walk away.

“Aria,” (she turns toward him) “you’re doing great,” he says smiling.

“Thank you,” she says closing her eyes with a sigh, she smiles.

“Why don’t you take a break, go grab some lunch?”

“Oh I wasn’t sure what time-“

“Whenever you feel you need to,” he says with a smile.

“Oh ok, um well then in that case, I guess I will take my lunch break now,” she says smiling.

Liam nods with a smile.

“Can I get you anything?”

“No thank you love, I have quite a lot of work on my hands, I’ll be working through lunch.”

“Oh, ok well, I’ll see you.”

Liam smiles as Aria exits.

***

Aria comes back from her lunch break, placing her bag on her chair, she looks toward Liam’s office as she hears his voice through the door, its raised, he sounds upset, and agitated. A side she has yet to see on him.

She sits down and listens.

“Hey, your Aria right?”

Aria looks over to her right as a young man leans over from his cubicle.

“Yea, yes,” she says turning toward him.

“Cool, I’m Marco,” he says with a smirk and sparkle in his eye.

 Rising from his seat and extending his hand, Aria shakes it and smiles back.

Liam walks out of his office and notices, he watches as his jealousy spikes. 

“Nice to have you on board, let me know if you need anything.”

“Oh thank you,” she says smiling.

“Aria.”

Aria jumps slightly not knowing Liam was behind her.

“Yes,” she says turning.

“Do you have the emails you forwarded me today, it appears my computer crashed and IT is unavailable at the moment.”

“Oh of course,” she says bringing the sent list up, “here you go, they’re all there,” she says getting up and allowing him to sit.

“Thank you,” he says taking the seat.

***

Aria shuts her computer off and grabs her bag, she knocks on Liam’s door, before popping her head in.

“Heading out?” Liam says with a smile.

“Yea if that’s alright?” she says scrunching her nose.

Liam smiles looking down for a beat. How adorable, he thinks.

“Aria you put in your hours and then some, thank you for all your hard work today and for letting me take over your desk for part of the day.”

“Hey the show must go on, right?”

“That’s right,” he says smirking.

“Good night,” she says smiling.

“Good night,” he says looking after her, as she leaves his eyes falling upon her curves.

Aria turns back quickly as she catches his gaze, his eyes shoot up quickly. They both ignore it.

“Are you ok, you seem super stressed.”

Liam sighs, “I’ve been crunching numbers all day, trying to put together the spreadsheet for the sales we’ve received over the past month, and with the technological debacle, I am just now getting to follow up on the emails we sent out earlier to those artists.”

“It can’t wait til tomorrow?”

“Money never sleeps, after all that’s what this company is all about.”

“Ooo Liam Whitmore I think your sarcasm is showing,” she says with a smile.

Liam laughs.

Aria takes the chair across from him and slides it next to him.

“What are you doing?”

“I am going to help you.”

“Aria, love thank you, but you really don’t need to.”

“Don’t worry you don’t have to pay me,” she says laughing.

Liam laughs, “I’m not worried about that.”

“Well then what are you worried about?”

“I’m worried about being here alone with you,” he says avoiding her eyes.

Aria stills as she looks away.

“Oh.”

“I know that I said that we could just forget it happened but-“

“Liam we have to, ok, it’s not a good idea to mix business with pleasure.”

“You called me Liam.”

“Mr. Whitmore.” she says correcting herself.

Liam looks up at Aria, the air thick between them, their lips inches apart.

“Oh I forgot,” Aria says hopping up, Liam gets startled leaning back in his chair.

Aria walks over to Liam’s small refrigerator in the corner of his office and takes out a plastic take out container and a drink.

“Here,” she says placing it on his desk in front of him.

“What’s this?”

“I asked the barista what you usually get, and brought it back for you, just in case you didn’t get to eat, I completely forgot I put it in here for you, ya know technology debacle and all, ” she says laughing.

“You are a lifesaver, I’m starving, thank you,” he says smiling.

“Ok, scoot,” she says waving her hands, “you eat, I’ll get started on these e-mails,” she says taking his seat.

Liam looks at her in disbelief, he shakes his head, as his eyes stay on her, admiring her.

Two weeks, two weeks, and then you can go for it, he thinks as he turns his attention to the sandwich in front of him.

***

Aria walks into the studio, showing her student pass to the security guard he gives her the key.

She turns the lights on as her reflection stares at her through the wall of mirrors. She tosses her hair in a bun and walks over to the radio, cueing up a song.

Aria let’s her body feel the music, trying not to overthink her movements.

As the words cause sensuality in her body, Aria replays the glances Liam and she shared over the course of the day.

Aria stops, her heart fluttering at the thought.

“This is going to be the longest two weeks of my life,” she whispers to herself as she walks over to the radio switching the song.

Aria begins to arc some moves together.

***

Liam walks into his home as he throws his jacket, tie, and suitcase to the side, he walks into his bedroom, throwing on some sweats and a t-shirt.

He walks over to the corner of his living room, where the blank canvas stands. Walking to his closet he takes out some paint, and paint brushes and propping himself on a stool, he begins to paint, long strokes, small strokes, brightly colored lines.

Liam smiles to himself and Aria floats through his mind almost leading his hand.

 

TO BE CONTINUED…

 

*I do not take credit for any images, or gifs used in my edits or otherwise.*

-<3-