Okay everyone, as per a suggestion from a reader of another one of my stories, I've decided to give their idea a shot. This chapter is sort of a pilot. If there's enough interest I'll continue it, so we'll see how it goes. Let me know what you think and if this is worth continuing or not. Thanks! P.S. Secret Truths will still be at the top of my priority list. I'm nowhere near finished with it. This one will be quite different than my other stories. Emily will be much more masculine and Spencer much more feminine.

-Fender18

Summary:

Between parents who rarely notice her, an overbearing sister whom she can barely tolerate and confusion over her own sexuality, Spencer Hastings often finds herself lonely and craving attention. What happens when Spencer falls for a sexy young architect named Emily Fields, a damaged soul with a heart of gold who is hired to work on a project for the Hastings family? Will Spencer and Emily find the love that they've both been seeking in each other, a place they least expected?

One evening in late August, Spencer Hastings walked down the stairs into her living room where she found her parents sitting at the kitchen island, drinking coffee and discussing plans for the upcoming remodel of their house.

"Hey, Spence." Mr. Hastings said. "You ready for your first day of your senior year tomorrow?"

"As ready as I'm going to get."

"Did you finish all of your summer assignments?"

"Please, dad. I finished everything a month ago."

"That's my girl." Mr. Hastings smiled. "Since you've got time, come over here, your mother and I could use your opinion."

"What do you need my opinion on?" Spencer asked as she walked over to the kitchen counter and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"We're going over the plans for our kitchen remodel. The architect needs to know what material to order for our counter tops."

Spencer picked up her coffee cup and walked over to the kitchen island, looking over her father's shoulder at multiple counter top samples.

"We've narrowed it down to three…" Mrs. Hastings said. "I like these two granite samples. The blue pearl and the galaxy black." She pointed to a pair of side by side sample squares. "But your father likes this black and white Italian marble."

"I like all three of them…but I think I'd go with the marble. It's pretty classic." Spencer said, raising her coffee mug to her lips. "I don't even know why you need to remodel the kitchen anyway, I think it's fine the way it is."
"I just think it's time for a change." Peter said.

"You're a terrible liar." Spencer countered. "The neighbors just redid their kitchen, so naturally you have to try to one up them by redoing our kitchen and putting an addition onto the house."

"The addition is necessary." Peter replied. "With your sister moving back home with her fiancé, we could really use the extra space."

The Hastings' hadn't stopped bragging since Melissa became engaged. Her fiancé, Wren, was everything that Veronica and Peter Hastings had wanted for their daughter. He was a handsome, young British medical student, who had just been accepted into a residency program at the Rosewood community hospital. Spencer rather liked Wren, he had always been nothing but kind to her. She often wondered what such a seemingly nice guy could ever possibly see in her stuck-up, condescending older sister.

"I don't understand why Melissa needs to move back here. Why can't she get her own house?" Spencer complained.

"You're eighteen years old now, Spencer. When is this feud between you and your sister going to end?" Veronica asked.

"When Melissa stops being a bitch." Spencer stated, matter-of-factly. "But I don't see that happening any time soon."

"We figured you wouldn't exactly be thrilled about your sister moving back home." Peter said. "That's why your mother and I have decided that it would be best for everyone if Melissa and Wren move into the barn."

"What! You promised me the barn! You said that if I did the summer internship with the mayor, took all AP summer classes at U Penn and kept straight A's, I could move into the barn for senior year. I did all of the designing and decorating, I worked all summer on the barn. Why should Melissa get to move in? It's not fair."

"Spencer, I know you're upset, but Melissa brought up some good points." Veronica said. "She and Wren need their own space."

"We had a deal. This is bull. You guys always give Melissa what ever she wants. You know you have two daughters, don't you?"

"Spencer…" Veronica said.

"Just forget it. Once again you take Melissa's side. You always have and you always will." Spencer said as she stormed off, back up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

The next day at school, Spencer joined her three best friends, Alison DiLaurentis, Aria Montgomery and Hanna Marin in the cafeteria at lunchtime.

"How lucky were we to all get the same lunch period?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah, lucky." Alison said. "We've only had the same lunch period together since freshman year.

"Do you always have to be so negative?" Spencer snapped.

"Jesus, who pissed in your Wheaties this morning?" Alison said, sitting down at the table. "Are you mad because you're the only one who didn't get laid this summer?"

"Shut up, Alison." Spencer glared.

"It's okay, Spence, you won't be a virgin forever." Alison said, snidely. "There's gotta be some guy out there willing to take your v-card."

"I thought I told you to shut up." Spencer said, obviously becoming more irritated by the minute.

"Calm down, Spence." Aria said. "What's really bothering you?"

"My parents just suck, that's all."

"What's wrong?" Hanna asked.

"They're letting Melissa and her fiancé move into the barn after promising it to me.

"But you had to take all those AP classes at U Penn and do that internship…" Aria said.

"I know…"

"So you did all of that work for nothing?" Hanna asked.

"It wasn't exactly for nothing. That stuff will look good on my college applications, but that doesn't mean I'm not still pissed. I'm so sick of Melissa always getting her way. It's like I don't even exist. I can't wait to move out."

A few days later when Spencer arrived home from school, she walked around to the back of her house where she found her father in the back yard, near the house looking at blueprints with a young, muscular, dark-haired woman whom she'd never seen before.

"Hey, Spence." Peter said. "This is Emily Fields. She's going to be working on the remodel."

"Emily, this is my daughter, Spencer."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Emily said, extending her hand to Spencer.

"You too." Spencer said, smiling softly at the raven-haired girl in front of her.

Emily held Spencer's gaze for a few long moments before letting go of her hand.

"Are you planning on being home tomorrow afternoon?" Peter asked, looking at his daughter.

"Yeah. I should be home around three. Why?"

"Emily's going to start work on the kitchen tomorrow. I'm going to need you to let her into the house."

"No problem…but, right now I've got a ton of homework. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Spencer said, glancing over at Emily.

"I'll be here around three thirty." Emily said.

"Okay." Spencer then turned to walk into the house.

Emily couldn't help but stare at Spencer as she disappeared into the Hastings' house.

"So Emily…" Peter said. "About these blueprints…"

"Oh right." Emily said, shaking herself out of her thoughts. "Here's what I came up with…"

The next afternoon, Spencer was sitting on the couch in her living room, reading a book when she heard the door bell ring. Spencer checked her watch, it was exactly three thirty on the dot. Spencer closed her book, got up off of the couch and walked over to the door. Spencer opened the door to find, Emily Fields standing on the other side.

"Hi, there." Emily said.

"Hi." Spencer smiled, finding herself unable to focus as she stared at Emily's upper body in her obviously too small, plain white v-neck t shirt.

"I give up what's the password?" Emily asked, poking fun at the fact that Spencer was still blocking the doorway.

"What?" Spencer asked, shaking her head.

"I can only do the work, if you let me inside." Emily replied. "I promise I've had all of my shots and I don't bite."

"Oh, God. I'm sorry. Come on in." Spencer said, her skin turning a deep shade of red as she stepped aside.

"Thanks." Emily said, stepping into the house.

"I won't bother you." Emily said, turning around to face Spencer. "I'm just going to be taking some measurements today. I shouldn't be very long."

"Take all the time you need."

Spencer sat back down on the couch and picked up her book again, she tried her best to focus on reading, but found herself having a tough time concentrating, as her gaze somehow kept landing on the tan-skinned woman in her kitchen. On more than one occasion that afternoon, Spencer had caught herself admiring the way Emily's tight, dark-wash jeans hugged her backside. This hadn't been the first time that Spencer had ever found herself sexually attracted to another woman. Over the past few years of her teenage life, Spencer had been finding herself much more attracted to girls instead of guys, but this was something that she had always kept to herself. Spencer allowed her curiosity to get the best of her, when she noticed Emily sketching something onto a piece of paper. Spencer got up off of the couch and walked over to the kitchen island, and glanced over Emily's shoulder as she walked by.

"What are you drawing?" Spencer asked.

"I'm just sketching out a more detailed plan of what your dad wants the kitchen to look like. I need to give my crew something to work off of."

"Your crew? Are you like the supervisor?"

"Sort of…I'm the architect."

"Really? Aren't you a little young to be an architect? I assume you went to college…are you new to Rosewood? I've never seen you around…"

"You want my résumé?" Emily chuckled.

"No, of course not. I'm really sorry, I'll stop bothering you."

"You aren't bothering me and you're definitely not the first person to ever question my credentials, but I can assure you that I am a fully licensed professional. You don't have anything to worry about…I think I have everything I need for right now."

"You're going to give me a totally vague answer and then just leave?"

"My life's not that interesting, trust me." Emily said as she stepped passed Spencer and moved toward the door. "Tell your dad I'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning."

As Spencer watched Emily leave, she couldn't help but feel like Emily had been flirting with her. Spencer was certain that she had felt a spark between the two of them and she was determined to find out more about a certain tall, sexy and mysterious stranger. Being that tomorrow was Saturday, Spencer decided that she would definitely be around…all day.