a/n: i decided to choke out a riarlie fluff piece and finally try to achieve my goal of finishing a short story. this is part of a five chapter series btw. r&r!

Riley is sure it all begins when the barista spills hot tea all over her.

Of course it might've been (definitely was) her who initiated the spilling of the tea on herself, but it hurts, goodness, and Riley simultaneously cradles an arm to her abdomen and squeals out apologies and thinks that this is probably the, what, the third time this has happened this month? But anyways, now there is a giant, sopping stain on her new maroon shirt and across the top of her skirt and she cringes in humiliation.

"Excuse me, but you look like you need some help―"

Riley swivels around and comes face to face with a very surprised Charlie Gardner.

"Oh!" she squeaks.

"Riley…" he says haltingly. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Neither did I," Riley breathes, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Charlie tilts his head, his mouth in the half smile that Riley remembers. And the more she looks, the more she sees all the things she remembers from back then, like how he drums his fingers on his leg, and the way he wets his lips and how his eyes flicker to the left and right and everything is the same except it's different.

Different, like the worn leather jacket draped over his shoulders and the thick-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

He looks really good.

It's so weird.

"You look…different," Charlie remarks suddenly.

"Same to you," Riley says, then scrambles to correct herself; "I mean, in a good way. You look really good. But different!"

"You look good too," Charlie replies with a smile.

Riley's face feels hot and she lowers her eyes. "Thanks."

Charlie clears his throat.

"So, what have you been up to?" Riley hurries to change the topic. "I haven't seen you around."

"Well, actually, I just came in town yesterday afternoon," Charlie says. "I've been relocated for work."

"Really? That's so interesting." Riley shifts so she's facing directly toward him. "What do you do?"

"I'm a photographer," he answers. "I work for a lot of big-brand journalism companies―I'm especially interested in ones that focus on nature and wildlife―and I saw that an online company here in San Francisco needed another wildlife photographer, so I took the job."

He's a photographer. For a journalism company.

Does he know about Riley?

She swallows and continues.

"Wow, that's so cool." Riley grins half-heartedly, choosing her next words carefully. "But there are a lot of online journalism companies around here―which are you working for?"

Charlie smiles back. "An international company, but relatively small."

Riley's palms get sweaty.

"Wilderness International―maybe you've heard of it?"

She's pretty sure she's going to faint.

/

"Let me get this straight," Maya drawls in amusement, stirring cream into her coffee. "Charlie Gardner, the one you dated in high school, the one who tragically moved away and said he couldn't do long distance and broke up with you, right before we became friends, that one―he's back."

"Yup," Riley affirms, unable to control her voice from dropping into a whimper.

"And this Charlie Gardner bumped into you at your favorite coffee place, and you spilled tea all over yourself."

"Yup."

"And says he's relocated to Wilderness International, the very place that you work at―"

"Uh huh."

"―and his specialty, as a photographer is wildlife, which, as a journalist, is your area of work―"

"Yes."

"―and now we are sitting in this shitty coffee place drinking coffee, reflecting over your past romances."

"Romance, singular," Riley corrects, then slumps onto the tabletop and sighs dramatically. "My life is over."

"Can't help you there, sweetie," Maya says. "By the way, you're welcome, you know, for the extra shirt."

"I just...don't understand," Riley mumbles, her voice muffled by her arms covering her mouth. "I thought he was out of my life. Like, forever."

"Like most exes are," Maya agrees.

"I'm going to have to see him everyday," Riley moans. "I mean, the office area isn't huge, and that means I'm bound to see him, or worse, collaborate with him, which means I'll have to spend a lot of time with him―"

Maya wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, which Riley chooses to ignore.

"―and because of that I need somewhere to hide, and this was literally the only other coffee shop I could find on my phone that is rated more than three stars, and you've got to help me Maya, I can't do this by myself."

"Okay, but… Is he hot?"

"Maya!"

"From past photos he doesn't really seem like my type…" Maya muses. "And from your extensive description, he seems too hipster-y for my taste―"

Riley shakes her head. "This isn't helping at all, Maya!"

"Okay, honey, listen up," Maya says. "You're only just starting the British Columbia project, right? Heading up in a couple of days? This guy, Charlie, is obviously going to start with something simple―I mean, he just told you that he just got here yesterday, which clearly makes him inexperienced compared to you at the company. And because you're nearly a senior writer means that you'll be doing a lot of out-of-state projects that he has to work up to. There's a slim chance he'll be working with you. No need to worry, alright?"

Riley inhales deeply. Everything Maya says makes sense. There isn't any reason to worry, she tells herself.

"Thanks, peaches. I needed his."

"No problem, Riles. Now, let's get out of here," Maya says, throwing her half-full coffee cup into the trash, "this place's coffee is fucking garbage."

/

Riley finishes her piece on Oregon wildlife sometime past twelve, and with a satisfied sigh, she sends it over to editing. Closing her laptop, she leans back in her chair and spins in a circle slowly, indulging in the peace and quiet of the office before she starts working on her collaborative piece.

"Hey, Riley," says a voice from her doorway. Riley doesn't need to look back to tell who it is.

"Hi Missy," Riley replies. "What's up?"

Missy enters the room and steps into Riley's line of sight, sitting in the chair across from Riley. "I've got a new project for you."

"I've already got one," Riley says, stopping her spinning to look at Missy. "The British Columbia one, right?"

"…About that…" Missy starts, her voice abnormally pleasant. "Well, I came in here to talk to you about that. And I brought a peace offering."

Missy holds out a steaming paper cup.

Riley accepts it skeptically.

"What is it?"

"A mocha with one cream and two sugars." The normally composed brunette looks a little uncomfortable. "I didn't know what you liked, so…"

"I actually prefer tea over coffee, but it's sweet of you to do this." Riley furrows her eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"I'm asking you to drop the British Columbia project."

Riley, in the middle of taking a sip of the coffee, freezes, and sets the coffee down. "Why?"

Missy grimaces. "I know, I know, it's bad. But we just got a new assignment and we've got to rise to the occasion or else the Manhattan branch will pounce. It's in northern Canada…a considerably huge opportunity for the company. It's on the glaciers."

"I've been assigned to the British Columbia project for a month. I have to go," Riley insists. "I've been doing background research for so long now. Come on, Missy, you've got to let me do this."

"I wish I could, but we need our best writers," Missy prods, "whom are you and myself. And plus… a possibility of polar bears? Please?"

Riley squints at her.

Missy shifts in the seat.

"This means a raise," Riley finally relents, and Missy's face spreads into a rare grin. "When do we leave?"

"In three days," the brunette informs her. "We're going in two teams. You and a photographer will be going closer to the Alaskan region, while another photographer and I go a little westward. Because it's summer, it's going to look spectacular."

Riley raises the cup to her lips. "Who's coming with me?"

"Oh, um, there's a new guy," Missy says dismissively. "He's a wildlife photographer. Charlie Gardner. Know him?"

Riley nearly spits out the coffee.