Feeel free to grab her ^^
 

Tiffany made her way to her cubicle with the click-clack of her heels following along. Finally reaching her own little area, she smiled. It had only been a year and she had already managed to make the place look as fabulous as she did. Quite a miracle when you looked around at the rest of the drab office spaces. Her was the prettiest of course. The walls of the cubicle were covered in magazine clippings-- you can take the girl out of Witch Weekly, but you can never truly take Witch Weekly out of the girl-- the left side covered in clippings of celebrities and fashion finds, while the right side was covered in everything CoCo.

Taking off her jacket, she slowly sat down onto her seat. Oh how she needed a good distraction. Wasn't really in the mood for work. So looking around to make sure that none of her coworkers noticed, she quickly slipped the latest edition of Witch Weekly out from her purse.

Angelina Robertson did what now?!

Heaven. This was heaven.

Striding confidently between cubicles, Ezra came to a halt at the sight of THE Tiffany Price not working. He stepped one expensive shoe into her cubicle, letting the other one follow with a little bit more weight to alert her of his presence. That is, of course, if she hadn't already noticed the subtle scent of his cologne or the air of professionalism that followed him everywhere INTO this cubicle that, at the moment, contained no professionalism at all. The Media Liason cocked his head sideways and gave her a half smile. "Getting lots of work done?" Heh.

He reached up to adjust his tie but then remembered THIS was the day to choose not to wear one. Damn. Today of all days. Settling for second best, he smoothed his scarf down, sure Tiffany's eyes would be drawn to them and she would notice the cashmere. Women? No problem. Ezra's half grin widened as his blue eyes travelled along the magazine clippings plastered on the cubicle walls. He found one eyebrow raising- she had good taste, this one. He nodded towards one side with a knowing smile and said "Coco, eh?" Yep, he knew it all. All of it.

Tiffany was in the middle of the 'Which Witch Wore What' column when she heard someone else entering the work area. But did she even look up from her cubicle? No, of course not. She was way too busy doing some serious gossip catchup. Besides, if she did look up then said person would probably want to come talk to her-- didn't they all?-- and that would just draw attention to herself. Tiffany was all about the spotlight on any other occasion, but this time she wanted nothing more than to coast the day by with her magazine in hand. And not be bothered by a random coworker, who would probably report her for not using her time doing ministry related work.

Unless the bother-er happened to be a beautiful piece of male eye candy stepping his way into her cubicle--

Of course she had recognized the scent of the cologne the moment he stepped into her very small cubicle. And of course he had already seen her indulging in the magazine-- as he currently was towering over her seated self. So she waited for him to say something before acknowledging his presence, couldn't give him the satisfaction. There was just something about him. About Ezra. He was beautiful--there was no doubt, it was clear as day-- but there something intimidating, or rather, threatening about the man. He dressed almost as well as she did and Tiffany couldn't have one of her coworkers one up her in fashion sense! That was HER thing. And the way he walked around as if he owned the place! It was... It was... It was just like how she carried herself. He was despicably and horribly just her type.

Slowly kicking one foot over the other (hiking up her romper a little in the process), she turned her seat around enough to face him. Though she wanted to melt at the sight of his perfectly chiseled--Tiffany, no. Her lips curved into a playful grin. "Lots," she replied smoothly. "See you're getting plenty done yourself," she could play at this game too. Though, if he was here to enjoy the view-- which wasn't doubtful-- she wouldn't want to deter him away. She liked a view too.

At this thought, she let her eyes trail along him. Starting from the feet and working her way up to the-- Was that cashmere? Well played, Bellamy well played. Realizing how well put together he was sent her in another wave of panic, though she wouldn't dare show the slightest hint of it on her face. Instinctively she raised a hand to her necklace and adjusted it center. "You know Coco?" she asked all hints of hiding emotion gone. She was actually impressed. Like, really impressed. Merlin, why was he making it so hard for her?

Ezra's smile grew from half to full as he cocked an eyebrow at Tiffany's playful grin. With his dimples fully activated, he widened his eyes and replied, "Oh yes Ms. Price, I'm right where I need to be." He inched his shoes a little closer to her chair and traced his jaw with one hand. Easier to enjoy the view from close up, right? Right. He saw her hike her romper up, oh yes he did. The media liaison's eyes flicked back up to Tiffany's face and caught her eye roaming over his outfit. To his slight surprise, Ezra felt his chiseled cheeks begin to grow a little hotter, but he covered it up smoothly by placing his bottom right on an empty part of her desk and crossing one leg over the other with a wink aimed nowhere in particular. There, all better.

He had no trouble realizing Tiffany must be used to being fawned over, but NOBODY could ever be more used to being fawned over than Ezra Bellamy, no way. And anyway, he was NOT fawning, he was merely engaging in a lively conversation about fashion. Which he knew loads about. Even more loads than the woman in front of him, whose romper was STILL hiked up but his blue eyes were certainly not returning there as he did not fawn over women. No. Stupid eyes. Conversation....right. She had said something, yes? "Oh, of course. I am French, you know." Okay half but still. "The stack of fashion magazines was endless at my mum's house, I had to do something with my spare time." Instead of playing outside, obviously. Because outside was horrid. Sensing her impressed tone, Ezra leaned back on her desk and ran a hand over his hair-it was still perfect- before leaning in closer to her and whispering, "I am more of Burberry fellow myself, of course, but high fashion must be appreciated." His eyes flicked down to her romper once more and then up to her necklace, shooting her another playful grin. Certainly worthy of appreciation, this one. But not fawning. Never fawning.

And he was doing the dimple thing. Tiffany had to mentally remind herself, no restrain herself even, from saying anything that would give him the impression that she enjoyed every single second of it. She couldn't let him win. Tiffany Price always won, she couldn't possibly cave. Still trying to play it cool, she kept up the playful grin, even lifting her eyebrows in response. Oh he was good. "Oh, are you?" she asked smiling just a little. If there was right where he needed to be, then she wouldn't stop him by all means. This was right where she wanted him to be. Taking her finger off the page of Witch Weekly, she slowly closed the magazine and pushed it to the side. She had a feeling that there'd be something more interesting than the latest celebrity sightings here today. Then, turning back to the man in her cubicle and pouting a little she put a hand to her chest in mock-worry, "You're not going to report me, are you?"

And then again he had to catch her off guard by taking a step further into the cubicle and closer towards her chair. She looked down for a mere second, letting her playful little smirk falter for only a moment. Had he caught that? She had managed to calmly recollect herself and went back to the playful demeanor just as he winked, to which she returned with a light eye roll. Trying to remind herself in moments like these that yes he may be delicious to look at, but he was just that. Simply eye candy. This was just the thing she was trying to avoid with her (relatively) new job at the ministry. And she had definitely took notice to the fact that he had let his eyes travel down to her legs, which were even more exposed with her romper that had been hiked up. Whoops? Well, there was no use in fixing it since it was attracting so much attention. He may have the dimples, the chiseled jaw, the deep blue eyes, the perfectly styled hair-- and wait, where was she going with this?

No where. She wouldn't let herself go anywhere with this.

So he was French? Impressive. Tiffany envied the fact a little. The French were style icons, whereas she grew up in simple Poland. He must've had it so easy, in a city where you are surrounded by beautiful designers. She on the other hand had to make for her own. But at the mention of the fashion magazines, she felt her brows lift slightly as she straightened her back. This was her area of expertise. No cashmere scarf wearing, hunk of eye candy could beat her here. "Ever get your hands on a copy of one of these, then?" she asked wiggling her copy of Witch Weekly from before in front of him. Leaning back in her chair ever so slightly, she casually looked up at him, "I used to be editor in chief, you know?" Was HE impressed yet? Ahem. As if she was trying to impress him. Uh, right.

Was he leaning forward? Getting closer? Whispering to her?!?? Tiffany felt chills run down her body, and in order to compensate and take her mind off of the weird sensation, she carefully kicked her other foot back over so that her legs were no longer crossed. She did little to adjust her romper though, letting it sit the same way without any fixes. "Though I do always prefer Chanel," she began, trying to imitate a similar tone as the one he had. "I'd never turn away Burberry, never." Noticing the flicker of his eyes down her body, Tiffany couldn't help but let an easy smile onto her face. See? This is the way it was supposed to be. Not the other way around. "Like what you see, Bellamy?" She was gaining her mojo back, right. Couldn't let the tables turn now that she had the upper hand... Sort of.

Tiffany tried not to notice that he was getting closer. She was really, really trying. But furthermore, she was trying even harder not to react to the fact that he was inching closer. Why was he doing that? Coming closer? It was making her nervous, or was that excitement? Really she couldn't tell with the weird thing her heart was starting to do. That racing thing. Straightening her back a little, she nodded in response. "Mhmmm," keeping the playful demeanor. Seeing him reach his hand up to fix his scarf-- which was perfect the way it was already ??-- she felt the need to do something with her hand too. She just now noticed how restless she was getting. Weird. "Oh, is that so, Mr. Bellamy?" she questioned, bringing her hand up to rest on the underside of her jaw; making sure to echo the way he drew out her name.

Mr. Bellamy. She liked it, but it didn't sound right. Something just seemed very formal about the whole matter. But, he was just a coworker, right? For the Minister's Office. That in itself was a pretty formal position right? So formality was a good thing? Yet, it didn't sound right. Something about it made her feel squirmy. He wasn't a Mr. Bellamy. He was something light, something more playful than that. "But, who's to say that my intention was to get rid of you?" Because it wasn't. She did enjoy his company, or his face. She really enjoyed his face, but there was no way she would admit to that out loud, or else he'd win. She couldn't let him win. She flashed a small smile as she willed herself not to look too impressed by that beautiful face. She was even contemplating wishing that he wouldn't smile back, to keep him from exposing those cute dimples again. It was perfectly normal to think his dimples were cute. Eye candy. That's all it was.

Right. She took a short breath as she watched him carefully lifting an eyebrow. Nodding quite proudly, actually. She couldn't let those dimples distract her from keeping the upperhand. It was her turn to be impressive. "So you can read, then? I'm impressed, Mr. Bellamy," she tried addressing him again, but it still felt wrong in a sense. The 'Mister' at least. But either way, she gave him a small, light-hearted smile to show that she was only teasing him, though she felt as if she was starting to regain her own confidence in the midst. See, his dimples couldn't throw her game off too much, could they? No. She still had it, game that is. Speaking of which, that playful little grin of his fully exposed those dimples and Tiffany was starting to feel all weak in the knees ALL over again. Except, luckily she was sitting so hopefully it wasn't even noticeable. She couldn't let him know. Then he'd really have the upperhand.

Tucking some hair behind her ear, she couldn't help but feel a small gust of pride when he admitted to keeping up with the magazine. See? Even someone the likes of Dimples over here read her work. Ahem, uh, he obviously kept up with her work!! It was great. No, that wasn't her confidence faltering. Nope. "I'm sure you know all about my work, then?" she asked with a playful little smirk. As he leaned even closer, Tiffany still tried to pretend as if she didn't notice, but when he brushed his lips against her, now, exposed ear, she shivered a little in response. It wasn't her fault that the contact sent a chill down her body! But hopefully, he didn't notice that. But it was a stretch.

Trying her hardest not to look too flustered, though the new pink in her cheeks probably gave her away, she turned her head slightly, "Well, any time you have a craving, you can always stop by," she lightly waved the magazine a little before continuing, "there's always more where this came from." Mhm, it was true, she had a whole stack of them in one of these drawers... Which one was it again? Was it the one under where he had chosen to sit or-- Merlin, why was it so difficult to think straight. Stupid dimples. His slightly impressed tone woke her up from the momentary daze as she pretended to have been paying attention the entire time- and to not have been thinking about his dimples. She nodded, feeling more confident at the reminder that she was once in charge or something and that she was in charge of this entire interaction. She had the upperhand. He had to have been at least a little impressed. Had to. Tiffany even smirked a bit at the style compliment-that's what it was, a compliment?- and it didn't help that she noticed the downward glance towards her legs. But oh right, he had asked something hadn't he?

Why had she left? Well, she loved her job, there was no doubt."I was just ready to move on with my life, there are so many more interesting things to see," she admitted with a small nod, before leaning a little closer and adding "and interesting people to meet," she would have added a wink here had she not known how ridiculous she would have looked. It wasn't fair,

Ezra was able to do it perfectly.

How come she couldn't, and why did this bother her so much all the sudden? It's not like he had the upper-- Was he leaning forward again? Merlin, he was getting real close now, he was... Exactly right about her perfume?! How did he kNOW? Trying not to let herself get worked up about this matter too, "Mhmm, like it, Ezra?" she asked trying her best not to sound impressed, but rather trying to sound just as confident as he did.

Eye contact. Why was it so hard right now? She had never really struggled with it before... Until now that is. Ahem, right no she was focusing on his eyes. Not... Other features, especially not his pearly white smile. That would be weird, why would she be doing that? Looking at his lips. His smile. His dimples even. No, she was looking at his eyes because that's how you keep a conversation. She lifted her head ever so slightly to what he said next and even let her teeth show this time when she smiled. His intention wasn't to leave? Well, duh. Why would he want to leave when the only person worth his time in this office was her. Yet, for some reason she couldn't get herself to say that out loud. An, "I'm glad," was all she could muster and she wanted to slap herself for it. Had she just admitted to enjoying his company? She couldn't let him win, but that was exactly what she was doing. Oh sweet Merlin.

And those dimples.

Oh, merlin.

Was she still pink? Oh she hoped not. But those dimples were making her feel a type of way and she couldn't even stop it. Curse her naturally light complexion from revealing her thoughts. It wasn't fair. He couldn't be winning. He couldn't. Tiffany never lost. NEVER. Especially not to someone like Ezra. She couldn't let him beat her, she'd never live it down.

She watched him carefully, almost a little too carefully even, letting him take the magazine from her hand. It was a newer issue, so he wouldn't be able to see any of her work, but something about the way he reached for it. The way he was leaning forward to grab it. And suddenly, he was scooting away? What. She wasn't about to say anything, but... How come he moved away? Had she done something wrong? Had she given in too easily? Had he... won? Though at noticing his eyes glancing over at her ever so often, she visibly relaxed. Clearly the game was still on if he was playing at it like this. But she wasn't winning. Not for now at least. "Oh, it certainly was. She's giving the media quite a kick, that one. I'm sure you'd know all about it," she sent him a smug smile, "Mister media liaison."

A smart, well-dressed man such as himself had to be familar with her work. She practically owned the title to 'national trendsetter', though unofficially. "And if you're not," it was her turn to lean in a little this time. Hopefully to catch him off guard, but secretly because she liked it when he was close to her, a fact which would never be said out loud. "I'm sure I can change that.... Familiarize you," she batted her long lashes innocently, before cocking her head at what he said next. Travelled? Oh. That was good. He knew how to play this game all too well. And for the record, she was kinda impressed. She wanted to ask him about it. Where he traveled to, his favorite locations, if he had ever visited Spain or Italy or... Poland even. But she refrained. That would show him her interest and if she was going to win, it'd be a risky move to take. This had to be calculated. Like a game of chess. "That's a very valid point you raise, Ezra," she casually drew out his name a little longer than necessary, letting the 'z' roll off her tongue easily. "Maybe you can introduce me to some of these more worthy people sometime."

And then, wait. In her sudden intrigue in the conversation, she had completely overlooked the fact that he started moving away. And not like away as he had before. Like away, away. He was walking out the door. "I suppose so... Ezra," she said returning the same goodbye. But why he had left so soon? Except, he still hadn't left, not technically anyways. She waited expectantly for something... Anything more. Leaky Cauldron? After work? Was he asking to see her outside of work? The thought helped place an easy smile on her face as she tilted her head lazily. "Maybe you will." She did it, right? She won!? Yet... Victory didn't feel as sweet as she thought it would. And she was starting to crave something sweet.

You know what, maybe she would go to the Leaky Cauldron after work. Um. For food reasons and stuff. Merlin, being an advisor sure gave her an appetite mhm. That's all. Turning he head back around, after watching him walk back to his own cubicle of course, she went to reach for her copy of Witch Weekly. And then she realized, he had never given her the magazine back.

Now she had to sit here for the rest of the day with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company. And her thoughts were all going back to a certain man's dimples. She hadn't really won, had she? He was the winner all along, he had taken her game. And she had to go to the Leaky Cauldron to take it back.

ooc: Continued from Mr Isaacs office
 

Tabitha entered the work area and hung up her jacket in the closet before sitting down at her desk. After her meeting with Mr Isaacs, Tabitha had met in person the owners of the two venues. She was now at her desk comparing notes so that the event could be organised.

She rubbed her eyes and softly clicked her fingers so that her rough notes became more legible.Tabitha really wanted to go over the notes to make sure that she was choosing the right venue for black tie dinner she had in mind.

For the record, she had not been ignoring him. She was just um, too busy with all this election stuff going on. And clearly, being a direct advisor to the Minister of Magic himself meant that she would be busy around election time. Election time for a new minister that she would be working very closely with. It wasn't like she was purposefully keeping herself always occupied, walking out of the room every time he entered, arriving at work before she knew he would get there. Merlin no, that'd be ridiculous. She was just busy. Too busy for Ezra Bellamy.

And though she would continuously try to use that as her excuse, it was clearly just that. For Merlin's sake, she couldn't even go on a proper date without constantly imagining his beautiful face. Ezra would never take her to a pizza parlor for a date. And if he did, there would be a warning so that she didn't show up in six inch heels and a gucci handbag. And she was doing it again. That thing where her mind decided to go off and think about him without her permission. It was all his fault.

And you know what the worst part was? She couldn't bring herself to use her Chanel #117 Magnolia lipstick since that day. And it was her favorite. Stupid, beautiful Ezra Bellamy. What was he doing to her!? And this. THIS was precisely why she had been avoiding him. She couldn't allow herself to get this way. To think these things. To FEEL these things. It had gotten worse than she had thought. And the time away from him was only making it worse.

And you know what? The only way to end this stupid feeling at the pit of her stomach once and for all would be to march right up to him and face the feelings. And that's what she was going to do. Not that she decided this on a whim, oh Merlin no. Tiffany was a planner. She had been planning this interaction for the past week. Only today, today she'd carry through with it. Firstly because the stomach thing was getting UNBEARABLE and secondly because she couldn't waste another outfit. Not that she regretted wearing beautiful things all week, but what was the point if Ezra didn't see? Or well, he probably did see... But she made an effort not to look for his reactions.

Pushing herself away from her own cubicle, Tiffany Price stood straight up, brushing her hair behind her shoulder. BREATHE. One last lingering second and then she was marching off over to Ezra Bellamy's cubicle. And oh Merlin, the sight of him did even more for that feeling in her stomach than just the thought of him did. It was worse than she had ever imagined. "Bellamy," she wasn't smiling-- trying to hide emotions actually-- though she did prop her body up right next to the wall of his cubicle as she ran a single hand through her hair. And despite the fact that her insides felt as though they were being scrunched up with a fist, she spoke slowly and smoothly. Nope. She was totally contained and not bouncing around. Thank Merlin for self control. And thank Merlin that she had it.

But most of all, thank Merlin for beautiful men like Ezra Bellamy.

He was taking ages to turn around. And the longer he lingered, the worse her stomach felt. It was that sinking feeling too, not even the fluttery one she had before walking over. In hopes of keeping the game, she had done something much worse than simply losing. She hadn't lost the game per say, but she had abolished it all together. It was his fault. If he hadn't asked her to join him at the Leaky, this would have never happened. If it wasn't for his beautiful face, his perfect hair, the way he smiled, and those damn dimples. His fault. All of it. It caused her to set the dice aside and move off the playing board all together.

But what if she wanted to play again? A rematch. Couldn't she just pick up the pieces and set them back on the board? A simple roll of the dice... A move forward two spaces? Couldn't they just, start the game over? That's why she was really standing outside of his cubicle. Not because she had missed him. Of course not. It was because she had missed the game. That was all. It had nothing to do with the way he leaned in to talk to her or the very scent of his cologne. Nothing to do with his ironed down shirts or his sexy glasses. It was only a game. And they were merely players on opposing teams. But she wanted to play again and it was her move.

And then he turned. That was all? Just a flicker of the lip? How she craved to see those dimples one more time. Were there rules against asking for it? Though this was her games, she could change the rules if she wanted. "It's been a while," it was a statement. Not the 'I miss you' that she had lingering on her lips, but something with less emotional attachment. Something plain. But she was aching to let him know why she was really here. It wasn't a game at all. "Just wanted to know how you were holding up, these elections must be giving you media liaisons a headache... With all the Quibbler gossip." In truth, she wasn't hoping to find out about how he was holding up with his work. She was hoping for a glimpse into his life, how he was doing. Because as much as she hated herself for doing so, Tiffany Price cared. Tiffany Price cared about Ezra Bellamy and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

But if anything, she sounded as if she were only talking to another coworker and not a friend. As if work was their only connection. As if they weren't-- Were they friends? The very thought confused her to no end. What were they and were they even a 'they' anymore? He probably wanted nothing to do with her. She had read the signs all wrong. Because had he really cared, he would've spoken up about it ages ago. But here she was, standing right outside his cubicle and he wasn't even smiling. He almost even looked as though he was in pain. Though, his facial expression most likely shadowed Tiffany's very own to a tee.

Has it really? He was kidding right? This was a joke. He had to have noticed. He knew there was an absence of Tiffany Price in his life. He couldn't have just not noticed. There was no way. Even if she had managed to skirt around him the past few months... She did so graciously. So that she lingered in the doorway for a bit so that he'd see her before she walked off. She made sure that her heels click clacked rather loudly so he'd hear her walking around. She bloody well made sure he knew she was around even if she wasn't... Around. But he really hadn't noticed? Trying not to let the disappointment show on her face, Tiffany let herself lean up against the cubicle wall with even less strength in her legs. The wall would keep her up, no use in tiring out her body too. It already felt sore enough as it was, being all scrunched up on the inside with that weird feeling again. Merlin. "Missed you? Well, not as much as I suppose you've missed me," So okay, it probably wasn't the reply he'd expect, but... She did admit to missing him, even if it were... hidden.

Because she did miss him. No wait. She missed the game. That's all she missed. The game.

AHEM. Focus, Tiffany!! All she wanted to do for the past week was talk to him. Talk to Ezra. But here she was stuck daydreaming, again about Ezra, but still. She was finally here and she couldn't even stay on task????? Uh. Right advisor. "Oh well, you know... I've got to make sure that everything is prepared for when the new one takes over." And really she wasn't lying. It was a lot of work to keep up with, but... It didn't consume her nearly enough as she lead on. She just needed an excuse. And excuse as to why she was completely avoiding him. "But those gossip vultures, you must be work pretty hard to get them off your back." Your very well toned back, might she add. Ahem. But why were they going through this? Like formalities. Small talk. She couldn't stand it. This was absolutely miserable. Yet, yet she didn't know how to stop it.

And then he spun around. Which, though she would not admit to, was actually quite a relief because it allowed her the chance to let herself look absolutely flustered for a couple of seconds before he turned back around. And those dimples. They were back. Oh my, my those dimples. And Merlin, she just couldn't help it okay?! Yes, so what if she had let her face soften up. Let a small smile peak it's way through. It just felt like the first time all over again. And she couldn't control her facial expressions when he looked at her like that. Not that he was looking at her any differently, really. The question, though, took her by slight surprise and she let the vulnerability flood into her eyes for a mere portion of a second. Or maybe a mere portion of thirty seconds. She hadn't been holding up well actually. She was falling apart. Falling apart with the very idea that she wouldn't be able to bring herself to talk to Ezra again. She wasn't holding up well and it was all his fault. Had she mentioned that already? That it was his fault. Because it was. "I've um, I've been better," she lazily drew a hand to her hair and tucked a single strand behind her ear. A lot better actually. Like that one time at the Leaky. She was a lot better then.

"Well, I- anyways, I know you're a real busy man, Ezra, and if you haven't got the time to talk to me. Then, I'll just get back to my cubicle." And though that's what she said, her eyes were pleading for him to tell her to stay. To give her a reason to stop doubting. She was hurt. And that never happened to Tiffany Price. Not the improved Tiffany Price, anyways. She worked so hard to keep herself sheltered away from that... that hurt emotion and here he was and without even trying he managed to tear down all those walls. How did he do it? Ezra Bellamy. She wanted to tell him how much she missed him. How hard it was to avoid him for so long. But here she was, standing right next to him both hurt and annoyed. But most of all, angry at herself for pushing away.

Tiffany Price noticed the eyebrow arching… But that didn’t mean she was going to acknowledge it. Yes, okay she definitely did imply that she missed him. But.. But she wasn’t supposed to and it was a complete screwup on her part. So ignoring that it ever happened. She continued to let her weight press against the wall, caring not to hold herself up at the moment because for some reason… There was always something about talking to Ezra that made her feel weak in the knees. Not to mention fuzzy in the head too. And fluttery in the stomach. Merlin, what was going on? Was she getting ill? No. Couldn’t be. Tiffany Price never fell ill. And what the heck was taking him so long to— Wait what? His response CLEARLY caught her COMPLETELY off guard. That’s when Tiffany found herself doing something else that she just DIDN’T do. Blush. That’s right, and it wasn’t just the hue of her mac makeup, this was a different sort of pink. ”Oh, you, you did miss me then?”…. That was SO NOT what she was supposed to say. But she couldn’t take it back now. She was just caught off guard, okay? And how come the fact that he missed her… How come it made her heart soar? Huh? HOW COME?? No. She was doing it again, the self doubt. And then he just, immeasurable? Well, it was a real good thing that she had the wall because if that wasn’t here… Anyways.

Immeasurable? Again, caught off guard— slightly— the brunette couldn’t help the smile that made it across her face. Not even just a regular soft smile that she gave people when she was forcing herself to. This one was genuine, with the pearly whites showing and everything. But as soon as she caught herself, she stopped it. She had to say something quick. Something witty. Something that wouldn’t make her look like an utter fool. She was losing again. ”If you missed me so much, then how come you never bothered to come and talk to me?” See, his fault really. And though she didn’t truly believe this at all, she narrowed her eyes slightly in effect. So yes she was angry, but more than anything angry at herself. She didn’t make an effort to talk to him either.

”More pressing situations?” this, though, this caught her interest and she even found herself leaning towards him. ”What could possibly be more pressing than ministry elections? Maybe I ought to watch you work some time… Be a judge of that myself?” She lifted a playful brow in return and— WAIT. This is exactly what she was trying to stop. Yet another point to prove that this whole ‘avoiding Ezra’ thing was failing miserably. She did not have feelings for him. She did not. And he more she repeated this, she’d believe it. Did not. Did not. Did not. Did—

So.

And this was exactly why she had to leave, sweet Circe. Yet, something was drawing her back and it didn’t even have to do with his cry against her movement. Okay, it had a little to do with that. That was a test Ezra Bellamy. And you. Just. Passed. Letting some relief flood into her eyes, Tiffany let her shoulders relax a bit. She was going to have to leave. This wasn’t good. She did not have feelings for him. She did not. Did not. Did not. Did— ”Well, I do have so much work to keep up with,”— not. Did— ”But, I guess I can hold off on that for a bit, besides.. You’re far more interesting than the new candidates,”— so. What was she doing? Going against every fiber of her mind that told her to go back to her desk. Going against any past judgement she had ever made. Doing exactly what she ought not to do. Doing what she wanted to do. ”After all, it has been a while.”

"It seems that way, doesn't it.” What in Merlin’s name was he playing at!? It seems that way??? He wasn’t supposed to say that he missed her. He was supposed to say that he enjoyed the time apart actually. That way, they could all just MOVE ON already. Not that she wanted to move on. No wait, she did want to move on. Not that she was stuck on the idea of him or anything. Definitely not that. Or um, what was this about again? AHEM. ”I, well, I suppose not,” Let’s make one thing straight, okay? Tiffany Price did NOT stumbled over words. Just like how she DOESN’T fall ill. How she DOESN’T wear fake handbags. And how she DOESN’T have feelings for one Ezra Bellamy. Only, there’s only so much you can lie to yourself about not doing. And Tiffany Price, well, she was guilty of most. This had to end now. The stumbling over words, the unexpected remarks, THAT STUPID FEELING IN HER STOMACH. It all had to stop right now…. Please? Trying to recompose herself, she began again, ”Maybe I just haven’t found the right teacher Ezra.” Better, right? Maybe. Ugh. At least there wasn’t any stumbling around. ”Have an recommendations?” She was trying to be playful again. Attempting at mirroring his stupidly adorable little smirk. It was so much easier the first time they had done this. ”Though, I can’t really blame you. But maybe you just have to try a bit harder next time,” Could someone bring her a glass of water, and QUICK? She was starting to feel her throat dry up. Just another thing Tiffany Price DIDN’T typically have an issue with.

FINALLY, she once again regained control of herself and the smile was no longer as wide as it had been mere seconds ago. She wasn’t allowed to feel this way. It wasn’t apart of the rules. She was here to throw the game in. Not to start it over. So then, how come what he had to say next… How come it made her heart drop? She let the shock of it all sink in for a few seconds too long, before finally collecting her thoughts. ”Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?” It may have not been much, but it was big for her. It showed that she did care. Or maybe that was just it. This small gesture, it didn’t really mean anything. It was only because she kept herself from any gestures at all, that this felt so big. To him, though, it was probably just another day. Just another CoWorker. Did he miss all his other CoWorkers immeasurably? And furthermore, why was she even questioning it? Did it even matter? He could miss whoever he wanted. As immeasurably as he wanted. Tiffany didn’t care. He could do whatever he wanted. It wasn’t like they were… together or anything. Not that it mattered. No. Exactly, it didn’t.

And yes, she was aware of the closing distance between them. But no, she wasn’t going to think about it. Though, he was making it pretty damn difficult. Just another thing he did to mess with her game. Maybe that’s why she was failing so miserably? How could you play a game if the opposition refused to play by the rules. All his fault. Every last ounce of it. All his. ”Matters of the heart?” What. Ezra Bellamy WHAT? ”Despite popular opinion… I do have one, you know.” A rather insistent one at that. One that kept panging an insisting on being heard. Yes she KNOWS you stupid heart. She KNOWS. Just because she was trying to ignore it didn’t mean she wasn’t well aware of what it wanted. Oh, she was more than just aware. She was standing in front of him, after all. Letting her eyes move over to the floor for a split second, she took a small breath before looking back up. It just wasn’t as easy for her. She did have to deal with matters of the heart, much more regularly then he may think. But, she couldn’t deal with them, which was the stem of this whole entire predicament. She wanted to admit to… Ahem. Certain matters of the heart BUT SHE COULDN’T. Didn’t he understand that??? She just couldn’t. It would be against every rule out there. Against her better judgement. Against everything.

Though the question, that got a nice little snort out of her. A little one, okay? ”Why, do you like it when I watch you?” Because that could be arranged. Though really she did watch him. All the time. Eye candy. But only when she thought he wasn’t looking. And then times like now, when she’d give him a nice long sweeping glance up and down. From the very collar of his shirt, to the cuffs of his pants, and then back all the way up to the frames of his glasses. Beautiful people should be appreciated, she knew better than anyone. She was one of them. And Ezra, he was a very special one of them. A new kind all together. Totally checking him out. So much for restraint.

And oh Merlin, he was close now. Very, VERY close. And she wasn’t sure if she could control anything right now. Not even her legs which were surely about to buckle down any minute now. So instead of whispering back like she would have done— in respect to the game ’n all— she chose to take as swift side step. And now that she could SORT OF breathe properly again, she began walking around him, until she could properly maneuver into his cubicle. Turning her head back, she gave him a quick smile before turning back and making her way to his desk. Where she soon made herself at home on. Mostly due to the fact that she really needed to sit. Her knees were going to give out, okay? And the closer Ezra got, the worse they seemed to tremble. So sitting. On his desk. Ahem. Hope you don’t mind, Ezra. Oops? She kicked one leg over the other, and rested her hands on her knee. ”So, tell me Ezra… What have you been doing to keep your mind off busy— and off me of course, since you’ve been missing me ever so immeasurably?” Okay. Back to square one then. She really couldn’t hold back anymore. It was back to the flirting game again, wasn’t it? Except only this time it wasn’t even a game. Behind all of the little witty remarks, there was a heart. She really did have one, alright. And it was doing strange things.

Yes thank you Ezra, she was already aware of her royal screw up, but the fact that he was doing that dumb annoyingly cute half smile of his was making her burn up even more. Did he not see what kind of effect he was having on her? This was not okay. It was so not okay. ”Oh, am I? I wasn’t aware that I was in the presence of a man with such a wide range of talents,” Of course she was well aware. She was merely trying to throw him a line. It was her default. Hiding behind what she truly wanted to tell him, with smooth little lines. And he could probably see right through it, couldn’t he? In all her years, Tiffany Price had never been so unsure of herself. This is how she generally played at things. And it was exactly that… Generally, just playing. But she wasn’t so sure that they were playing a game anymore. If it was a game, though, hopefully Ezra Bellamy was the prize because Tiffany wanted to win him over. Wait what? Uhum. Of course not, Ezra. Why would I ever do anything of the sort? Calling him lazy that is. Definitely not what she was implying here, though she did send him a small smirk. ”Maybe it’s my turn to teach you one or two things, then? What do you say, Ezra? Let the teach play student this time?” It would essentially be the blind leading the blind. Tiffany missed Ezra just as much as he was admitting to miss her. Though, Tiffany was better than hiding it. Maybe. If he couldn’t see right through her, that is. And with him, she never knew.

Shifting slightly in place, she couldn’t help but raise a brow at him. Yes she was here. And he was here. And they were here. Now that they’ve established that much… ”Yes, we are.” She liked the sound of it. ‘We’, ‘they’, ‘them’, ‘together’. All such funny words. She wanted those words, all of them. ”Well, I’m glad, that would be oh so disappointing, Ezra because I’ve taken a liking to you.” Ha whut. In a not-popular-opinion kind of way okay? Tiffany didn’t settle with the popular opinion. Go getter. Trendsetter. Fashion forward. That wasn’t ‘popular’ okay? That is all she meant. She didn’t like people who just went with the popular opinion, okay? She didn’t mean it in an ‘Ezra I really like you’ sort of way. Was that clear? SHE DID NOT. Ahem. Moving on from the fact that she had just admitted to maybe a tiny fraction of the fact that she really wanted him. Really wanted to pull her fingers through his hair. Really wanted to intertwine her hands with his. Moving on. MOVING ON. ”That may be true, but the best way to avoid heartbreak is to pretend you don’t have a heart to begin with. Maybe wishing isn’t the problem.” Okay so was it officially ‘reveal your secrets to Ezra hour’ or what? ”Or-well-so I hear,” Yeah. That was just what she heard. That was just. That was it. Just that.

Merlin, how was he so capable of make her smile like such an idiot? The very act of putting his hands up in the air, as if pleading innocent, she couldn’t control what was happening to the ends of her lips. They were curling upwards and there was nothing she could do about it. ”Well, then, I guess I could arrange it.” Not that she didn’t do this already. But now he was pretty much asking for it. So there. She only watched him because he liked it. Not because she liked it. Pft. ”I could use some occasional eye candy.” Ahhhheeeeem. Running a hand through her hair mhm. Totally going to pretend like she didn’t just admit quite a number of things in the last five minutes. Nope. Nothing that he couldn’t possibly be aware of before. Just… stating the obvious.

The brunette bounced her feet around a little as she waited for Ezra to come back into the cubicle. Merlin, he was really taking his time with things today? Which was not allowed. So against the rules. For every time there was a moment of silence, every second she had to wait, the pounding of her heart was just that much more evident. The silence, it made her listen. And she didn’t know how much more of it she could take. As he walked in though, he received a big smirk. She was on higher ground now. Even with her heels, she was still much shorter than he was, so being able to look down at him, it was powerful. She finally felt in control. This was how it should be always. Control. Except, she didn’t have control at all, even still. ”Oh,” Damnit Ezra, WHY. ”I-well, I’m glad to hear you are taking it so seriously.” AASDLKFJASD. Was he being serious about this? Or was he just messing with her? She couldn’t tell. Had he really spent all that time away missing her immeasurably? Or… Was he just being… Ezra? This probably bothered her more than anything. She couldn’t figure him out. What kind of game was he playing at?! ”Can I ask what exactly you missed the most?” Innocent question. Not a test. And not that she was curious. Not that it mattered if he missed her at all. Not. Not. Not. So not.

”Me? Why was she so surprised that the question had turned? It was quite the usual way things worked, huh? She just… She didn’t know what to say. She had been missing him quite immeasurably too. But… She couldn’t say this out loud. Not after she had denied it, sort of. ”Well the elections do take up a lot of my mind… But I suppose I’ve kept myself busy other things as well… I did try a matchmaking service for some fun and did a lot of shopping in my spare time.” And she wasn’t just admitting the first bit to him because she felt like she had been cheating when she went out with Luc. It wasn’t like she was allowed to see other people— See people. People in general because she wasn’t with anyone. But then how come she felt so bloody pained by the fact. She wanted to be with someone, but it wasn’t the same as actually being with someone. She had no reason to feel guilty. None at all.

And, what was in that drawer Ezra, hmm? She lifted a curious brow. Had she seen even a glimpse of the magazine, she would have recognized it immediately, though she had been avidly staring at his beautiful face for far too long to take notice of it. Heh. Eye candy, remember? He had given her permission.

A wink. Merlin, did he just wink? The brunette was FULLY aware of the effects it had on her body thank you very much. Like her heart. That was beating at least five times faster before, or maybe it had been beating like this the whole time? But she was aware of it now, the pace. It had picked up since she had made her way over. Strange. How absolutely peculiar. As for the wink though, she rolled her eyes ever so slightly, but left a small grin on her face. She wasn’t really disapproving. Not at all. ”Not surprised, Ezra. Impressed, though… Maybe.” Yes, yes she admitted it and she was mentally cursing herself for doing so. What did it even take to hold back?! She needed to know. ”Well, I am quite the tutor, Ezra. Twirling a loose strand of hair around her index finger, she took a moment to divert her eyes before looking back up at him. That wonderful face. That defined jaw. Where his dimples would be had he been doing that famous smile of his. ”I’m sure you’d make quite the pupil,” sending him a small smirk this time, trying to resist that all-out-freaking-smile that she could keep away from around him.

Together. He was here. She was here. They were here. Together. It was a funny little word, but she wanted to here it more. She wouldn’t mind other people using it either. Saying things like ‘Tiffany and Ezra, look at them together’. She wouldn’t mind being a ‘together’ with him. He wasn’t a jerk like she had only wished he would be— it would have made everything so much easier. But she liked him. And maybe that meant that it was okay if people grouped them together. He had everything. The smile, the face, the manners, the style, sweetness in his voice, a firmness in his grip— She wouldn’t mind if people saw them as a ‘together’ not at all. ”Together,” she confirmed in an even quieter murmur than his.

She watched him carefully as a small wrinkle (heh) appeared between his brows. Had she said something wrong? Oh heartbreak. Yeah, well uh, that happened. Honestly she hadn’t meant it to stick out to him so much. Yet, it seemed as if out of everything she had just said… It was the only thing that had stuck out to him. Why? Why did it matter so much? ”It’s inevitable… Heartbreak. When you invest so much of yourself in someone,” her eyes widened for a moment before she quickly went on to fix it, ”Or something. Of course this is exactly what had her holding back. The moment she started laughing, or smiling even… She had to stop herself. Heartbreak. The possibility was always there, even more than a possibility. And Ezra, well, he must’ve broken several hearts in his life time. She was only taking precautions. Watching out for herself. Letting a blank expression wash over her face, she slowly crossed one arm over the other. ”Who said I was worried?” Because she was. And now he would know. How could she protect herself if he knew exactly what she was doing? Not only had she tossed the game, but she had started it again just to give him the biggest cheat code she could possibly give him. Except, it wasn’t really a game. It was her heart.

She wanted to stay bothered. To stay impenetrable. Yet that grin. ”Are you? I wasn’t aware.” THAT STUPID GRIN. It made her grin. Stupid. His grin was stupid and now her grin was stupid and she was trying not to grin yet she couldn’t help it??? EZRA FREAKING BELLAMY. WHY. ”My laugh?” Well… that was unexpected. Very unexpected actually. So much so that it had her tilting her head and furrowing her brows in thought. What about her laugh? Wasn’t it just a regular laugh? Had she really even laughed that much around him? But… It was noted. The fact that he liked her laugh. ”You’ve got to tell me something funny then, so you can hear it again.” No pressure. She would’ve given him what he undoubtedly wanted, but she couldn’t just laugh on demand. Wouldn’t be the same. It’d be forced. And Ezra deserved more than that. He deserved the— Wait. What. Forgot about him quickly?! Actually NO. Very, very much the opposite. She couldn’t forget about him at all. She tried to. She sometimes even WANTED to. But she couldn’t. He was forever on her mind. It was aggravating. ”Not jealous are you?” she lifted a playful brow, but couldn’t get herself to smirk. She still felt guilty. But there was nothing to feel guilty about, Merlin this was all in her head!!! ”But, nothing came out of it… Didn’t really fancy the guy or anything… Not really my type.” All the while she had found her eyes traveling down to the top of his desk. Anywhere but his face. There was still guilt. ”I wasn’t invested.”