- Your girlfriend is… special. – Chloe said, extending the white tablecloth over the table.
- Special? – Emily raised an eyebrow that the girl didn't see because she was very concentrated undoing the wrinkles of that tablecloth.
They were getting the salon ready for the night and Chloe had been unusually quiet since they'd begun… until now. She had waited until they were in one of the most remote tables to bring up the topic that had been "tormenting" her overnight, not that she hadn't been able to sleep, but she felt restless, it had been a while since she reacted so much to someone.
- Yeah, when I met her… I don't know, it was like… like if I wanted to impress her, you know? Like if I had to impress her. I wanted her to like me and… God, I invited her to dinner! More or less. – She laughed at her own clumsiness, the blonde must have thought that she was crazy.
- Well, she liked you. – Emily confessed her, beginning to place napkins in front of each of the chairs that surrounded the table.
- Oh, really? – Chloe looked surprised and… excited?
- Yes… - The brunette watched as her cheeks flushed and her breathing stopped, the air trapped in the middle of the throat, she was definitely "excited" by that discovery. – Looks like you liked her as well.
- She was very nice. I mean, we almost didn't talk but… I don't know…
- Chloe, I'm starting to get worried, it seems like you had a crush.
- Yeah, right? – The girl looked thoughtful for a moment and, at the second, she realized the expression in Emily's face, an expression of suspicion, nothing reassuring. – No, no! Not that kind of crush. – The brunette laughed in front of her, carefully placing the cutlery next to the plates. Chloe had to lean on the table, the conversation was getting out of her hands.
- But it was a crush, wasn't it? – Emily was amusing herself, she wasn't going to deny it. Chloe was one of those innocent, simple and terribly honest people, good people, the brunette felt lucky to have found her and, ultimately, she could acknowledge that she had taken her some confidence, enough to tease her and know that it wouldn't really bother the girl.
- It was… I don't know what it was!
- Remember that she is my girlfriend.
- I know, I know… it's not that. – Chloe put three tulips in the vase that was in the middle of the table, she liked to do that, organize the different elements of the table, she even told the brunette once that perhaps she had an OCD, because she always had to have everything organized. – Also, I like men, not that I have anything against… you know.
- I know? – Emily looked at her with narrowed eyes, tilting her head.
- Yes, you know! – The brunette laughed hard and a napkin flew to her face. – Natalie! Do not laugh at me.
- Mesdemoiselles! – They heard from the doorway, where Nicolette was speaking with the head chef.
- Pardon. – Chloe vocalized and Nicolette just shook her head before continuing her conversation.
It seemed that the maître and Chloe had some sort of deeper relationship than the one that could exist between a superior and a subordinate, almost like they were friends, or at least that was what Emily had come to appreciate. If the brunette had been alone in the room, making some kind of mess, Nicolette's anger would have fallen on her in seconds.
- I think it was something like… - The girl continued, lowering her voice as they moved to another table. – It was like when you're at school and the popular girl decides to talk to you, maybe she just wants to ask you for a pencil, but you feel "chosen". You know what I mean?
- Yes. – Emily said, recognizing the feeling perfectly. – She usually causes that effect on people.
Flashback
The bell sounded deafeningly, above the din of hundreds of hurrying footsteps around her, and even above the shouts and laughs that contained the conversations crashing into the hallway walls. That boisterous bell was streaming below her ribs, echoing in her chest cavity along with the quick beatings of her heart. She hated having to start again, she really hated it.
To Emily it was her first day in high school and she couldn't be more nervous. English was the first thing she had and she arrived a little late. It was impossible to walk among the crowds of people!
When she found her class she took a deep breath before opening the door and entering the room. The teacher wasn't there, that was a good thing, but most places were already taken. Almost everyone had been placed in the more distant rows from the board, leaving the first ones free, waiting for someone who came later, someone like her, who would have no choice but to occupy those tables. "Great", she thought, clutching the handle of the backpack hanging over her right shoulder.
Miraculously, as she scanned the place, her eyes fell on a seat in the fifth row, next to the wall, under a window. She quickened her steps toward it, trying to not stare at any of the faces of her new classmates. She knew no one and that terrified her. Despite being quite tall for her age, she felt tiny dodging desks. The fresh starts were always so horrible… but her parents had decided to move to that small town and she hadn't insisted on staying in their old home, mostly because she, Emily, would never be able to make a tantrum or attempt to disobey any of her parents.
She left her backpack on the floor and sat down, relieved to have crossed the entire classroom without raising many looks. Upon entering the door she hadn't been able to avoid thinking about the stupid choice of clothes she had done that day: a shirt and jeans, simple, without a shred of grace… at least the brunette could be sure that she would go unnoticed, totally unnoticed.
Around her everybody seemed to have someone to talk to. She shifted in her seat and told herself that it was normal to be uncomfortable, that tomorrow, for sure, the air would get to her lungs more easily.
She opened the front zipper of her backpack as quietly as possible and pulled a notebook and a pen to start scribbling meaningless figures on a sheet of paper, just to have something to do.
- I like your shirt. – Emily was startled when that comment arrived to her ears.
The brunette looked up and met a pair of blue eyes that watched her curiously. By choosing that table she hadn't noticed who she would have in front or behind her, she had only been happy to not have to be in the front row, but now she knew that she had seated behind who, probably, was the prettiest girl in the whole class.
Her face of soft edges and clear skin was framed by beautiful long blonde hair. Her cheeks were naturally rosy and her mouth stood out in that picture of perfect features because of the slight sheen that adorned it, and the heart shape that could be seen on her upper lip, Emily had never seen anyone with heart shaped lips.
She was smiling at her.
- Thank you. You… yours is beautiful too. – The brunette said awkwardly, what are you supposed to answer to that kind of commentary? Although it was a beautiful shirt, a tank top, light orange, matching her skin and hair.
- I'm Alison. – She said and Emily felt her hands shaking.
She was introducing herself, she was talking to her, in her very first day at school… that girl. She couldn't help but feel privileged.
"Tell her your name!", shouted her subconscious, she couldn't ruin that chance, maybe, she would be able to have her as a friend!
- Emily. – She replied briefly.
- I think I hadn't seen you here before. – The brunette deduced that she referred to the town, because that day was the first for everyone in the school, thankfully, that was all that increased the chances of easily finding new friends.
- I moved last week. – That was better, a complete sentence.
- If you want I can show you this place. – Then an old man with little hair entered the classroom. The teacher, most probably.
- Sure. – Emily said quietly, but managing to smile.
- Are you doing something after school? – The blonde continued, without even looking towards the main table, where the man had begun to place his things.
- No.
- We'll go to the mall, it's almost the only decent thing in here.
So easy, so fast, Emily made her first friend in Rosewood.
So easy, so fast, Alison DiLaurentis came into her life.
End of Flashback
- So… it is normal? – Chloe asked her, taking the girl out of her reverie.
- Yes. – The brunette said. Of course it was normal, in fact, it was usual.
- Wow… it's like a superpower, isn't it?
Emily laughed at the comment but, if she thought about it, it did seem that the blonde had something supernatural and magnetic in her that made everyone to want to be near her.
"This furnished apartment of 30 m2 can be found on Rue Fallempin, in a prestigious section of Paris' 15th district. It's a great study that allows the staying of two people. It stands out as a quiet and bright place, located on a tenth floor (elevator available). It offers a clear view of the Tour Eiffel. It is also equipped with all basic and necessary household items: iron, washing machine, linens, towels, security door, etc. It has an easy access by the public transport in Paris (Dupleix/M6, Charles Michels/M10, Avenue Emile Zola/M10, La Motte-Picquet Grenelle/M6, M8, M10), and its surroundings include numerous shops and services (bakeries, bars, supermarkets, newsagents, pharmacies, restaurants, etc.). The residence offers a concierge."
"Not bad", Alison thought as she pressed slightly the key on the keyboard that allowed the displacement down the page.
The outline of the flat was quiet promising: the kitchen, small and handy, appeared upon entering, to the right of the entrance, and in front of this one, you could see the large rectangle representing the living room, which also contained the bathroom. When she moved on the girl came across the pictures of the place.
The walls were painted in a soft gray (not "dirty gray", as the one that dominated every surface at the hotel, but rather a subtle and elegant gray) and were completely naked, ready to be customized. Embedded in the wall separating the living room from the bathroom there was a very dark brown cabinet, with a black sofa placed in front of it, something not very useful but surprisingly visual. You could count two lamps strategically placed to light the whole room, along with a little lamp standing over a dark table. The double bed, which occupied most of the living room, allowed the perfect and convenient display of a plasma television that hung on the wall contrary to the mattress. Alison didn't remember the last time she sat quietly in front of a TV to spend a lazy afternoon, jumping from one channel to another. However, that wasn't what caught her attention from the room, why would she be looking at that stupid television if she could see the Tour Eiffel every second of the day?
Maybe that apartment was small, but it had a balcony right next to the bed with spectacular views that compensated every possible inconvenient.
- It's perfect. – The blonde whispered, imagining how it would be to see the sun rising between those sheets, realizing every single morning that she was in Paris… feeling Emily's arms surrounding her… yes, it was perfect.
Alison sighed before looking for the truly important data in that nice set of information.
1575€/month.
- Really? – The girl closed the window with that dreamy place angrily and ran a hand over her face. Her eyes were irritated, she had been two hours staring at that screen. – Does not exist a single apartment with a regular price throughout the city?
- Define "regular". – CeCe said, offering her a cup of tea that the blonde accepted instantly, gratefully cradling that steaming heat between her hands. The winter was going to be awfully hard if they didn't find a decent place to shelter, because that damn hole that had mysteriously appeared next to the window frame in the hotel room made impossible to stop the entry of the nightly cold wind inside the room. – If you keep searching in the center of the city you won't find anything.
- And where would you look? – Alison took a sip of tea, not caring that the liquid, still too hot, burned her tongue. – I already tried all districts and… nothing, absolutely nothing!
- You know that I could help… - The ex-blonde began to say for the third time that afternoon.
- No. – Alison said firmly, leaving the cup on the table and opening a new window on the computer, if it was necessary she would try each and every one of the existing websites for rentals.
- You could give her a jersey, as normal people do for Christmas.
- It's not a gift, exactly.
- Then why are you looking for it on your own, hiding? – The blonde felt how she emphasized the last word as she brought a chair and sat beside her. – Or did you tell her that you come over here every day after work?
The visits to CeCe's apartment (ultra-luxurious CeCe's apartment) had started like that, visits, something to kill the time until the hour to see Emily again was closer. It hadn't take too long for Alison to conclude that, staying in the hotel, wasn't a valid option. Whenever she found herself all alone among those sad and plaintive walls she remembered certain places she had been in during certain time periods trying to not die in the open, and she couldn't deal with that memories day after day. So, when her hours at the store were completed she walked towards the Opéra and sought the Rue Réaumur, a wide avenue that led up to the last meters of the Rue Montmartre, which collided with the start of the Rue du Louvre, where a building of remarkable and well preserved front towered. Every day, at 16:35, the blonde went up to the eighth floor in that building, and CeCe was always waiting for her with the table set, ready to share her meal with the girl. That was a plus, eating with her friend, without spending nothing at all, a good way to contribute to their monetary funds.
After the first week in the city, when she did the relevant counts, Alison realized that if they were really careful, they could rent a flat just before Christmas and when she discovered that the girl decided to not tell the brunette. She would take care of everything. And that was the other main reason for her visits to CeCe's: her internet, a necessary tool for her "flat hunting". Of course, the final decision would be taken by the two, but at least she could save Emily the tedious job of searching, visiting and rejecting flat after flat. Although the latter things, visiting and rejecting, wouldn't be a problem if she kept her current "good luck".
- Em knows nothing. – The blonde confessed, opening a link that she had visited the previous day.
- Hey! Look at that one. – CeCe said, indicating a flat that claimed to be rented for 413€/month, a real bargain.
Alison clicked on a photo with a red sofa and the description of the apartment came into view.
"This furnished 9 m2 apartment is located on Rue Meslay, in a lively section of the 3rd district. It is a charming studio that allows the accommodation of a person. It is located on the fourth floor (no elevator). It is also equipped with everything you need to feel like a real Parisian: vacuum cleaner, internet, laundry, linen, etc. This apartment is accessible by public transport in Paris (Temple/M3, Arts et Metiers/M3, M11, Strasbourg-Saint-Denis/M4, M8, M9), and near it you will find many shops and services (such as bakeries, bars, supermarkets, pharmacies, laundries, restaurants, etc.)".
They explored the webpage a little more and found the photos of the place… the pictures were much more daunting than that terrible description. Apparently the "apartment" consisted of a single room with a sofa (which they assumed that would also be the bed), placed in front of the "kitchen" (a cabinet with a pair of stove and a tiny closet… there wasn't any refrigerator in sight) and the washing machine. In addition, both ends of the kitchen had curtains made of colored plastic strips between which you could clearly appreciate a toilet and a sink. At least the shower was behind the wall beside the entrance.
- Oh God. – Alison complained with horror, could she start crying now? – Why does it have to be so hard?
- Honey, life is hard. – The blonde felt CeCe patting her back trying to comfort her.
- Said the one that lives in a fucking palace. – The girl commented, pointing to the great living room where they were. – Can you explain me again how you can afford to live in an apartment of 120 m2?
- I told you that I'm renting it to some friends, plus I'm paid quite well at the store. – CeCe shrugged.
- Sure, the store. – Alison didn't believe that story, at all.
According to CeCe, some old friends of her family had left that apartment just a few weeks before the girl appeared in the city. It was weird that CeCe's family had friends in Paris and it was weirder that she was in contact with people who knew her as the "Drake girl". That lie couldn't be worse arranged, and to top it all the recent brunette claimed that her salary (a salary that she received for being five hours standing in an antique shop) was enough to pay that monstrous place. The situation was completely surreal. But then, Alison was no one to judge anyone's lies.
- Seriously, you should talk to Emily and tell her what you're doing, if you don't want me to help you at least… - CeCe started once more, did she have so little faith in her that she didn't think she could find a minimally decent place?
- I want it to be a surprise. – The blonde cut her.
- And what a surprise. For me the most you did was give me one of your season purses.
- I'm sure you can understand that this is a little bit different. – Alison said, slightly shaking her head.
- I guess it is. – CeCe was just messing with her, trying to make her look away from that screen, really, her eyes would end up falling from her face if she kept scrutinizing the computer like that. – What you have with her… is something serious, right? – She asked, changing the tone of the conversation. Alison didn't answer, she just kept typing.
Finally, the blonde huffed and stared at her friend. She knew CeCe for years and she had never felt any kind of hesitation when it came to talk about her conquests (actually, it was almost a hobby for both girls to sit and drink some fancy coffee while punctuating the poor individuals with whom Alison played), but Emily was off limits. With the brunette things were different, special, and she didn't want it to change.
- I already told you that I totally ship you two together. – CeCe reminded her, trying to smooth nonexistent wrinkles in the tight black pants she was wearing. – If there is someone in this damn planet that really loves you is that girl… and me, of course. – One of the edges of the blonde's mouth lifted when the other girl said those last words after a dramatic pause, one of those she knew that she loved to do. – But you don't want to take off my pants, right?
- Shut up. – And that was the end of the serious part of the conversation, now began the annoying part.
- How is it? – She asked, leaning lightly on her.
- How is what? – Alison answered, her attention back on the computer.
- She, you… I don't know, tell me something. – She said.
- I don't know what you want me to tell you.
- Are you gonna make me say it, really? – The blonde knew exactly what she was asking for but she didn't have any intention on answering.
- That's none of your business.
- Oh, come on, Ali, we've always talked about it.
- Always is not now.
- Come on… - She pricked on her arm with the tip of her index finger. – I'm curious. Who tangles the sheets better, girls or boys?
- As if you didn't know. – The girl slapped her hand to put that accusatory finger away and looked at her with narrowed eyes. – I still remember that party and that blonde with her hands all over you. Everyone knows what happened at the end of the night.
- Not me. – CeCe said, frowning, and the blonde laughed. – What? It's true. I was so drunk… I don't even remember her face, just the headache I had the next day, and the nausea… I thought I was going to throw up my own gut.
- Gross. – Alison grimaced and changed the web she was watching, apparently in that one there was nothing below 1000€.
- Do not change the subject, I bet that our little shy Em is quite a beast in bed.
- I'll say it again CeCe, I'm not gonna talk with you about that.
- Is she that bad? Or maybe you hadn't done anything yet? – Alison remained unfazed by the provocation and the girl rolled her eyes. – You're so boring. – She said with disdain and stared at the seriousness on her face, when did Alison change so much? When did she grow up like that? – Do you love her?
CeCe allowed the girl a moment of silence, she let her continue her typing, hold her breath… Then, those blue eyes got lost somewhere on the wall behind the screen and her mouth opened slowly.
- Yes. – Alison said, softly, admitting it out loud to someone else was more terrifying than she had thought it would be. – But it's…
- Complicated. – CeCe finished for her. – I know, you don't have to explain anything to me. But this is good Ali, this is really good.
- You say it as if I was some kind of alcoholic who just spent her first week without drinking. – The blonde snapped to her, not really angry, just slightly bothered.
- You could have told me that you don't care about her, that you're faking the whole thing just because she was the only one crazy enough to come here with you, you could have lied to me. But you didn't. – Alison looked at her. – It's a step, now you just have to tell her, because you haven't tell her that you love her, right?
Why? Why on earth did CeCe know her so well? And why the hell did she decided to enter that slippery and horrifying field? Why?
- She haven't said anything either. – The blonde commented briefly, passing the thumb of her right hand across the surface of the table, not wanting to keep looking at that other pair of blue spheres.
- Really? – CeCe said sarcastically. – What else has to do the poor girl to prove her feelings for you?
- I'm not saying she doesn't feel it but… - She was acting like a little girl, again, infatuated with some silly nonsense, though it wasn't any nonsense. – She have never said it to me, not with those words.
For a moment her heart raced. She was acknowledging something that made her vulnerable, how could the mere thought of those three words, which weren't exactly the longest words in the world, affect her like that? Nothing should have such power over her, nothing.
- Perhaps you should say it first, don't you think? After everything that's happened between you two… maybe you should be the one taking the lead.
- Again? – The girl complained through her teeth.
- What? – CeCe asked, who hadn't understood what the blonde had growled.
- It's getting late, - She said suddenly, not wanting to dig in what had escaped her mouth. – and I have to pass by the supermarket before I return to the hotel. – In a second Alison was standing, on her way to one of the thousand racks that were spread across the corners of the house.
- Ali… - CeCe started, someday they'll have a serious conversation that lasted more than five minutes.
- I'll come tomorrow again, if it's okay for you. – The blonde buttoned her jacket and moved to the front door, trying to not walk too fast.
- Yeah, no problem. – The other girl said holding the door open and giving her two kisses. – I'll cook some pasta.
- Nice.
CeCe watched how she walked away down the hall and smiled. Long ago she thought she was sure that she would never see that girl in love… no one would ever know how glad at that moment, as she saw her disappear behind the elevator doors, she was to have been wrong.
AN: hey people! sooo I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the reviews! I love that you're enjoying the story and I love even more how some of those reviews had questions and ideas about what's happening on the chapters :) I'm gonna try and solve some of those questions and requests:
A couple of chapters ago some guest asked if Ali was hesitant about letting her coworkers know that she's dating a girl, in chapter 14 I'll get a little into that and you'll see that it's more complicated than it can seem.
Some other guest wanted some jelousy from Em... it would happen, not exactly soon, but it would happen.
And "emisonalltheway", I think this chapter explained what happened to Chloe (xD poor thing got lost in the DiLaurentis charm), though for Nicolette stalking habits... you'll see ;)
Also I'm really happy that you're not upset with me for taking things terribly slow, I'm trying to do it as realistic as possible (even though they are in Paris... alone...).
In this chapter there wasn't a lot of Emison, just the flashback (and I wasn't very sure about it because I don't have idea how the girls met :S), I promise next chapter would be almost all about Emison.
Whatever, I feel like I talked too much in this "AN", sorry, xD Hope you'll keep enjoying the story and again, thank you for the reviews, favourites, follows and just for taking the time to read it!
