A/U: Steffy Forrester, college student and fashion major falls in love with Liam Spencer, editor in training at his dad's magazine. Bangkok seems like the perfect exotic backdrop for their steamy affair but what happens when they return to L.A and its scandals?

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Serendipity

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Bangkok was an assault on the senses.

Steffy was drunk off its cloying smells, devoured by its swampy crowds who pressed and shoved past her in the airless smog. Her eyes were everywhere, seeking and chasing rick-shaws carrying tourists along the polluted market. A peddler yowled in her ear as he pushed past her and Caroline. Steffy's brown eyes chased him through the traffic as he called and screamed selling his sparkling trinkets.

"You better hold on tight to your bag around here" Caroline cried above the bargaining vendors as she fanned herself with a bamboo fan she had purchased from a vendor further down in the narrow rutted alley.

"Relax, "Steffy yelled back as she caught a whiff of fried sea food to which Caroline recoiled her alabaster nose. Flinging her eyes across the street to the thousands of vendors preparing hot food by the pavement, Caroline pressed the fan against her nose and shook her head.

"I can't stand this place" she complained squeezing down the cramped thin aisles swimming with sweaty people.

"I love it!" Steffy's face beamed pink as her eyes wandered around reedy balconies and the red Chinese lanterns floating above them. Her fingers probed the brown paper covering the spicy street squid she had just purchased, her eyes glistening and her heart pounding at this new exotic smell. Steffy was in ecstasy and she couldn't understand why her college friend, Caroline Spencer could hate such a place.

"Let's just go back to the hotel" Caroline insisted, tossing her curled flaxen hair over a soaked shoulder. Her blue linen shirt was doing little to block the heat.

"I'm still treasure hunting remember" Steffy smiled bunching up her drenched dark hair into a topknot bun and rushing across the muddled streets, past noisy fuming exhausts and trolling bycles.

"Stef, I need to be at the hotel to receive Rick's call." Caroline panted behind her," You know how the reception gets around here"

Steffy nodded already gorging into a sweetly curried squid and sucking the dripping juices from her fingertips. She knew all too well about the bad reception after trying to reach her frantic mother to let her know about their safe arrival. Taylor always panicked, Steffy thought but who could blame her after losing one daughter. It was just Steffy and Thomas now, that's all she had left especially after her dad divorced her again. Steffy closed her eyes with a deep groan as the spicy flavours of the squid clung to her mouth, she didn't want to think about Los Angeles or her family. She was in Bangkok to explore, have a bit of fun and find some inspiration for her designs.

"What time are we meeting your cousin for drinks?" she asked Caroline over the buzz of traffic and music.

"You might have to go without me; I think I've had enough of Bangkok for one day" the blonde snapped pushing through people again and Steffy followed, delirious from the smell of burning cigarettes and sweaty cheap lavender perfumes.

"Are you kidding, this city's supposed to have the best nightlife!" Steffy's eyes widened as she paced behind her friend. She couldn't believe that Caroline was going to spend a large portion of their vacation behind doors instead of investigating the most incredible city in the world.

"You and Liam will get on famously" Caroline huffed rolling her eyes and tending to her a damp strand of hair licking her sweaty brow.

"What does he do again?" Steffy asked, eyes hunting for the smell of orchids and coconuts that had suddenly infiltrated the air. She found the culprit inside bowls of fragrant soups lining the roadside.

"He's managing one of my uncle's small holdings this side and writing some stupid blog, " Caroline shrugged her shoulders fanning herself furiously, "he blogs about the savage Bangkok nightlife…go figure" she said rolling her blue eyes.

"Yup, go figure" Steffy smiled, read heat already creeping into her glowing cheeks. She couldn't wait to meet this Liam Spencer.