"Ms. Fields, may I get you anything else?"
The brunette snapped her head up from her phone, looking at the pretty, young flight attendant standing over her. Flying first class was always a privilege she enjoyed. Everything seemed to be better. The service was more genuine, the food was tastier, and even the attendants seemed more attractive, something the twenty-five year old had always looked forward to.
"No, thank you. I'm okay," Emily replied, setting her phone down in her lap. "Please let me know if you need anything at all," the blonde attendant offered as she flashed a smile and wink before turning on her heel. Emily returned a smile as she watched the attendant walk away. Blondes were her weakness. They had always been for as long as she could remember. She was certain there was a particular blonde from her past to blame.
Guilt flooded the brunette. She shouldn't be thinking of her. Their relationship ended four years ago when they were both twenty-one and entering their senior year of college. Emily hadn't even spoken to her ex in three tortuously long years since they graduated.
Emily didn't take the break up well, even though she was the one who ended things with her past lover. Emily was head over heels in love with the blonde. She wanted to marry the girl, who was now just as much as a young woman herself as Emily. Emily had spent her senior year crying and moping around about her loss of her first love until her best friends from back home and teammates helped her to smooth the pain.
Emily fully devoted herself to swimming to keep her mind off of the blonde, spending hours training in the weight room, running around her college town of Gainesville, Florida, and in the pool doing laps. The brunette was the top female swimmer in the nation and she was being scouted professionally by multiple talent scouts and agents. After her freshman year beating out all records at the University of Florida and multiple records across her division, she was offered to swim on the national team to represent the United States at meets worldwide. Since then her career skyrocketed and she was the face of women's swimming at tender the age of nineteen.
Now, being three years out of college, Emily was a worldwide known professional athlete. Her schedule was constantly booked with training, meets, events, and meetings. She moved to Los Angeles to continue her swimming career and signed deals with the powerhouses of Nike, Gatorade, and Audi.
Emily had a beautiful life. She was a beautiful girl, lived in a beautiful home in Calabasas, had beautiful and successful friends, and had a beautiful model of a girlfriend for a year.. which is exactly why Emily shouldn't have been thinking of her previous blonde girlfriend.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to depart from Los Angeles to take off en route to Philadelphia. It is now 6:07am and the estimated time of arrival will be in exactly five hours and six minutes, landing at 2:13pm eastern time. Please fasten your seatbelt and enjoy your flight."
Emily leaned back in her chair and put her earphones in. A five hour flight meant a five hour nap that she normally wouldn't be able to take with her excruciatingly tiring schedule. She checked her phone one last time before she closed her eyes.
I have one last photoshoot and then I'm leaving for the airport. I'll see you soon, love. Have a safe flight, text me when you land. I love you, xo.
Emily smiled and typed a quick message back to her girlfriend before putting her phone on airplane mode.
Smile pretty. I love you too. See you soon.
#####
"I cannot believe you're a famous actress now!" Hanna practically yelled before taking another sip of her strawberry daiquiri. Alison pushed her black Ray Ban sunglasses up on top of her head and turned her body towards Hanna.
"I can't believe you're a famous fashion designer now! You seriously have to start designing my dresses for red carpet events," Alison replied back, spreading out on her back on the chair in attempt to darken her tan.
It was just after 3pm and Alison, Hanna, Spencer, and Aria were hanging out by the Rosewood Country Club pool. Spencer's parents rented out the place for the weekend while the girls were back in town.
"I can't believe we all haven't been together in so long," Spencer stated on the other side of Alison, "especially us, Ali. We share a brother for God's sake."
"Ooo, speaking of Jason, did you invite him to the wedding, Aria?" Hanna mischievously smiled, eyeing her tiny brunette friend.
Aria sat up on the other side of Spencer to get a better look of Hanna, "yes, I did actually. Jason and I are just friends! We had a fling years ago when we were kids in high school. We've both clearly moved on."
"Yeah, he moved on to your mom, Hanna, remember?" Spencer chuckled, unable to contain her laughter.
"Spencer, shut up—,"
"Okay, ew, that's enough talk about our brother's sex life," Alison stepped in, cutting Hanna off. "Back to less disgusting and more important topics, I seriously can't believe you're getting married, Aria," Alison said, redirecting the conversation away from her playboy brother.
"Are you kidding? I thought they were going to get married while we were still in high school," Spencer chuckled. Aria shot a smile to Spencer before softly slapping her arm, "what can I say? We're in love."
"Blah, blah," Hanna said, flinging her hand in the air dismissing Aria's lovestruck comment, "trust me, we all know." Alison tossed Hanna a smirk, "you sound a bit bitter over there. Are you just mad because Rivers hasn't proposed yet?"
Hanna took another sip of her drink, "nope, I'm too busy for marriage at the moment. I have a company to maintain."
"Like we all don't have busy lives?" Spencer replied, "I'm a lawyer in D.C, with my own firm I might add. Alison is a worldwide known actress, Aria owns her own publishing company, and Emily is a professional athlete. I think we're all kinda busy, Han."
"Yeah, Hanna. Work is great but love should never have to be scarified," Aria agreed. Hanna rolled her blue eyes, "what-ever. While you guys fall in debt after your weddings and honeymoons, Caleb and I will be falling in piles of money. And speaking of Emily, where is she?"
Aria glanced down at her phone to check the time, "she should be here soon. Her plane left at nine our time this morning."
Alison tensed up at just the thought of Emily's name. Emily was the only girl out of her four best friends that she hadn't kept in touch with, and rightfully so. The two girls broke up four years ago and Alison was heartbroken by it. When Emily left her, Alison canceled multiple auditions and call-times just to lay in bed and cry. It took almost a year before the blonde actually got her life back together.
In that four year time span Alison went from just another girl trying to make it in Hollywood to becoming an A-list celebrity. She had been on the cover of magazines having drinks with Kim Kardashian and lunch dates with Blake Lively.
Alison became a young, fresh face in Hollywood and it seemed like the world fell in love with her. And so did the quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, a professional NFL team. Jackson Dylan was the showtime young quarterback in the NFL who instantly fell for Alison the moment he laid eyes on her at a club opening a year ago in downtown Los Angeles. The two met and within six months Jackson proposed to Alison after renting out the football stadium for the night to wine and dine her in the center of the field.
Their engagement had been the talk of the entertainment world and the media couldn't get enough of the blonde and her superstar finance. But as Alison thought about seeing Emily for the first time in almost three years, her stomach dropped as she twirled the diamond ring on her left hand.
"Have you spoken to her lately?" Spencer said, asking the question her other two friends had wanted to know. Alison shook her head, "not in three years."
Hanna didn't miss the sadness caught in Alison's voice. The three girls thought Emily and Alison were always going to get married.. everyone in their life did. The love the two had for each other was contagious. They seemed to compliment each other perfectly.
When Alison was feisty, Emily would be calm. When Emily needed reassurance, Alison would give Emily confidence. Emily grounded Alison and somehow Alison helped Emily take flight. They were two people who just fit. Two people who balanced each other out.
"How do you think this week is going to go?" Hanna asked. Alison shrugged her shoulders, "honestly, I don't know. So much has changed in the last three years. And with Jackson coming here for the wedding, I—I don't know."
"Is he coming with us to Bora Bora for the honeymoon trip, too?" Aria asked. "No, he has to report to spring training. He's leaving the morning after the wedding," Alison replied. Hanna shifted in her seat and looked at Spencer, who knew exactly what Hanna was thinking. Aria's honeymoon trip was extended to her friends and their significant others. Without Jackson, Alison would be left alone. And to make matters worse, Emily would not be attending the trip alone.
Spencer took a breath before delivering the news, "Ali, I don't know if you know, but—,"
"I'm here!"
The four girls whipped their head forward to see Emily walking out of the country club pool house towards them.
"Emily fucking Fields!" Hanna shouted, standing up to rush her best friend. Hanna jumped on top of Emily, and thankfully the brunette had no problem catching her excited friend. Emily beamed as Hanna wrapped her arms and legs around the tall swimmer.
"It's good to see you too, Han," Emily laughed. "You're never allowed to go this long without seeing me ever again," Hanna demanded, letting go of Emily and being set back down on the ground.
Alison's stomach flipped. Emily was…beautiful. She had matured in the face since the last time the blonde saw her three years ago. She didn't have a baby face about her anymore. Her features sharpened.. and God so did her jawline. Her hair was a tad bit longer and just barely a few shade lighter than her natural dark brown hair. Alison figured it was probably from the sun. Maybe the chlorine. Whatever it was, gone was the girl Alison had known. Emily was a young woman.
Each step closer Emily and Hanna took towards the three girls, Alison felt herself grow more nervous. Did Alison look okay? Was she prettier than when Emily last saw her? What would Emily think of her? Did Emily watch her TV show? Did Emily even care about her anymore?
A hundred questions suddenly flooded Alison's thoughts as Emily greeted Spencer and Aria. Alison couldn't remember the last time that she was this nervous. And she was in the entertainment business for heavens sake. What was wrong with her?!
Alison watched as Emily's head turned from Spencer to Alison. The blonde could have sworn Emily's mouth parted as she let go of a soft sigh. She could have sworn she saw Emily's brown eyes grow bigger. She could have sworn she saw the same look on Emily's face years ago every single day when Emily would lay eyes on Alison each time the blonde kissed her.
Emily made her way to Alison as the blonde sat up and stood from her pool chair. Emily's eyes were locked in on her ex. This is what Emily had been thinking of the last two weeks. This moment. She had pictured what it would be like to see Alison again and speak to her.
Emily had wondered how it would happen. If it would be awkward or natural. If they would get along or argue. But as Emily's eyes ran over Alison she didn't expect the blonde to be half naked in a revealing bikini with her abs flexing and her breasts perking on her chest. She expected the blonde to be a stunning sight, but not this breathtaking..
Not her blue eyes a crystal ocean color and her blonde hair reflecting the sunlight making her look angelic. Emily wanted to close her eyes and run far away because just the sight of Alison alone was causing her heart so much conflict, but the brunette opened her arms instead.
"Hi," Emily said so softly Spencer, Hanna and Aria almost didn't hear. "Hi," Alison replied, taking a step into Emily, wrapping her arms around of the brunette's waist. Alison closed her eyes as Emily's familiar scent filled her lungs. The smell of Emily almost made Alison lightheaded. Emily's scent hadn't changed.
The blonde felt two arms wrap around her neck as Emily's head laid against Alison's. Emily tried to ignore how Alison's body shuttered in her arms upon contact, or how good the blonde's hair smelt. She especially tried to ignore that Alison's practically naked body was pressed against her.
Emily's finger absentmindedly ran through a lock of Alison's hair and for a brief moment.. for one second it felt like it did many years ago. Emily felt content. Like something she didn't know that she was missing suddenly found its way back to her.
Hanna and Spencer traded looks and Aria awkwardly coughed to break up the embrace. She knew Emily and Alison were both in other relationships and even though her heart longed for the two girls to be together, Aria knew that this was only two seconds away from over stepping the line.
Alison opened her eyes and was the first to let go. The blonde took a step back from Emily, knowing she couldn't think straight, literally, if she was that close to the brunette.
Hanna stepped up and threw one arm around Emily and one around Alison, "now that everyone is here, how about we order some more drinks, catch up, and officially kick off Aria's wedding week!"
Cheers came from Spencer and Aria who already started making their way to the pool house. Alison slipped out of Hanna's arm and pounced between Aria and Spencer, locking her arms around of Aria's neck and Spencer's waist, "let's have the week of your life, Mrs-Almost-Fitz!"
Emily's eyes fell to Alison in her bikini. The brunette bit her lip to hold back a smirk. Alison looked so good it almost physically pained Emily to watch.
Emily felt a soft smack against the back of her head as Hanna started walking. "Get your tongue back in your mouth Em, that's the wrong blonde," Hanna whispered, patting Emily on the shoulder. The brunette's cheeks blushed as she followed Hanna. Busted.