Emily's heart pounded, her chest heaving as she bent over, both hands resting on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Her lungs burned and it felt like she'd just run a marathon though it was only about ten miles. The sun was out, and the temperature was in the mid 70s. It wasn't humid and there was a faint breeze every now and then that kept it from being uncomfortably hot. The weather was perfect for a run in Prospect Park.

Paige, who had been ahead in their race, doubled back to check on Emily. "You doing alright?" She jogged in place.

With her lungs still on fire, Emily took a few short sips from her water bottle before managing to answer, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. You're in really good shape."

"I like to stay fit," Paige grinned, her body glistening with a thin layer of sweat.

Paige's dedication had to be admired, a ten mile run wasn't easy, especially with the park's hills and loops. They were running Paige's usual route, and her familiarity granted her an edge, but she was also simply in better shape. Emily hadn't won their race, but she was content with being able to keep up with Paige's pace.

"Alright, you win. Lunch is on me," Emily conceded with a smile.

Paige's eyes lit up, "Lunch sounds great right about now. The diner I told you about isn't too far from here. We can walk it." Paige looked out into the park, mentally mapping out their route.

The conversation flowed easily as they walked through the park. Paige told Emily about her plans to go on a hike. Emily hadn't been aware there were so many places to hike in the city until Paige started telling her about them. She kept her answer vague when Paige asked about her other plans for the weekend, knowing she would be spending the rest of the time with CeCe. Emily felt a small pang of guilt at withholding the information, it was the same as lying.

CeCe would be picking her up from Toby's apartment in a few hours and Emily still had packing to do. Strategic packing, since she needed to cover Alison's…creative work. Watching the makeup team cover up all of the bites and hickeys so she could go back out onto set had been disappointing. It wasn't until she was home, showered, and all the concealer scrubbed clean, that she was able to see the marks again. Under the cascading water, Emily had traced each mark with her fingers, following the same path Alison had taken down her body. Between the vivid and fresh memories of Alison, and her own hand, Emily came twice, only stopping because the hot water in the shower ran out.

Emily felt the incoming call before she heard it, the armband holding her phone starting to buzz, she tapped the screen and pulled the device from its holder, "Hello."

"Hey Emily, It's Spencer," the familiar voice came through the phone, "I know it's Saturday but I have something that can't wait, do you have a few minutes?"

Emily glanced at Paige, who started to jog ahead to give her some privacy. It wasn't ideal timing but it sounded urgent, "Uh, yeah, I have a minute. What's up?"

"The photoshoot you did yesterday, the one for Fleur du Mal, the company is obsessed with the photos," Spencer began.

Emily smiled into the phone, "Well that's a good thing right?"

Spencer continued, delving into the purpose of the call, "It is but since you weren't the original model for the shoot, neither Fleur du Mal nor DiLaurentis McCullers Drake had you sign any usage or rights contracts. The photos are being finalized and the company is eager to use them for broader advertising, beyond the edit with Harmony."

"I don't really know what that means, Spencer. What would they use the photos for?" Emily asked, eyebrows furrowing at the sudden technicalities.

"There was mention of a few billboards, both here in New York and Los Angeles have been confirmed but there may be others. You can expect some of the photos to be featured on their website as well. It would really be up to them once you signed the papers." Spencer explained.

Emily went wide eyed, billboards? They wanted to put her on billboards. She couldn't believe it, trying to sound calm she answered, "Yeah, I mean..uh, that sounds like something I'd be interested in."

"It's okay to be excited, Emily. I saw the photos and you did amazing. I can't believe CeCe threw you in the deep end like that, but it worked, and everyone's really happy with how it turned out. So, If this is something you want, I'll email you the contracts," Spencer's words were reassuring.

"Yes, I want this," Emily's heart was racing again, this time with anticipation.

"Great, I'll send them over now. Just have them signed and sent back by the end of the day." There was a brief silence and then the sound of keyboard clicks before Spencer's voice came through the phone again, "One other thing, due to this becoming a larger campaign, the compensation's been adjusted. I don't think you'll have any complaints, but if so let me know, I don't mind negotiating on your behalf."

Emily's phone pinged and she pulled it away from her ear to see the contracts that had just landed in her inbox, she opened one and scrolled down to the compensation portion, $30,000. "Oh my god," she gasped at the number and heard Spencer let out a light laugh.

She hadn't seen numbers that big on a contract since her peak competition days and back then her mother managed her earnings. This would be her first time accepting a payment that large independently.

Composing herself Emily said, "Yeah that number is more than fine. I'll have the signed copies to you soon."

"See, aren't you glad you didn't quit on your first day?" Spencer's voice took on a more light quality now that business was squared away.

Emily chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I have you to thank for that."

The call ended shortly after that, and Emily caught up with Paige, telling her the good news. Paige responded with genuine congratulations and excitement for Emily but despite the exchange, Emily couldn't shake the urge to call Alison. There was a good chance the blonde already knew but Emily still wanted to tell her, talk to her. The feeling started to fade as she and Paige fell back into conversation and continued their walk. A faint burn in Emily's calves reminded her that she should run more often, maybe she and Paige could make it a regular thing.

When they made it to the diner they were seated in a small cozy booth. Paige, familiar with the restaurant didn't need to look at the menu, she ordered something called the Benny Burger and turned her attention to her phone. Emily was left to navigate the extensive six page menu alone. She decided to go with a bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado sandwich, thinking it was a choice that was hard to get wrong. With their orders in Emily expected this was the part of their date where they would get to know each other better, ask questions, and exchange stories, but Paige had someone else in mind.

"You spend a lot of time with Alison, right?" Paige asked casually, taking a drink of her water.

Emily nodded, wondering where the conversation was heading. Alison had been on her mind too, but why was Paige thinking about her?

"What's that like?" The questions came back to back, "You can't really get along with someone like that," Paige followed up.

Emily froze, swallowing nervously, she wasn't sure how to answer. Yesterday Alison had pulled her into a dressing room with dark and lustful eyes, covered her body in deliberately placed marks to keep Paige and CeCe from touching her all weekend, and then when she was done she retraced her path soothing and gently kissing each one to ensure she hadn't actually hurt Emily. It was one of the most head spinning and undeniably hot experiences Emily ever had, and hours later they sat in the office working in tandem on the New York Liberty project as if it never happened.

"We manage," Emily kept her answer simple hoping Paige would change the subject.

She didn't.

"Oh come on," Paige laughed, "She's got to be driving you crazy. Has she even apologized for the other day? Or the flowers?"

Alison was driving Emily crazy, just not in the way Paige presumed. "I'm not saying she's not challenging, she is, but not all the time."

"Would you quit if something better came along? You know, like if this modeling thing took off." Paige crossed her arms, her tone implying more than she said.

The suggestion made Emily think about what dating or being in a relationship with Paige would be like. Did the animosity between her and Alison run so deep that Paige would expect her to eventually quit her job? The questions fleeted through Emily's mind, and she quickly dismissed them. It was far too early for them to broach that conversation. "It's nice having options, but I like my job, Paige" she answered resolutely.

Paige nodded thoughtfully and they waited for their food in silence. Emily used the time to digitally sign and email her contracts back to Spencer. Once the food came they made the usual first date small talk that Emily was expecting earlier. Paige was endearing, smart, and she had an awkward charm that Emily liked.

… …

"I'm pulling out some of my best tricks here, Alison."

The redhead came up from between her legs and Alison cracked her eyes open to see the woman hovered over her, wiping the edges of her mouth with the back of her hand. What was her name? Krystal, Krystine, Krystie? Alison couldn't remember. She felt fingers graze her thigh and hummed, her body was sensitive and everything the redhead did felt good, it just wasn't enough to push her over the edge.

"It's not you," Alison said, looking up at the ceiling as…Krystina?...plopped down beside her.

"I know it's not me," The woman grinned playfully.

Alison returned the smile, she could appreciate the confidence. Rolling onto her side, Alison took in the view, whatever her name was, she was striking, "I guess I'm a bit distracted."

"What's her name?" Green eyes twinkled curiously.

It was a presumptuous question but Alison's distraction did have a name, not that she would ever share it with the woman lying next to her. Emily had consumed Alison's thoughts, her mind ping ponged between work and her assistant. It was exactly what Alison had been trying to avoid. She couldn't afford to be distracted, it was already affecting her work, slowing her down.

"Okay, don't tell me her name. Tell me why I'm here and she's not?"

Alison mulled over the question. The easy answer was that Emily was her assistant, and there was a reason workplace relationships were discouraged, especially with their current dynamic, any involvement they had would be scrutinized both internally and publicly. But that wasn't the real reason. The truth was, Emily had awakened something in Alison that had long been dormant, a wanting that she couldn't understand. That was how…Krystiana?..had ended up in her bed. Alison knew that maintaining her steady rotation of women to occupy her free time was the best way to squash whatever she was feeling about Emily.

"You're here because she deserves better," Alison answered, bringing the other woman in for a kiss.

Emily had been through enough, she deserved better than Alison's spurts of possessiveness. She deserved more than insults being thrown at her, or long durations of silence every time Alison wanted to distance herself. Alison poured her frustration into the kiss, causing it to become a bruising mess of teeth and tongue.

The redhead pulled away briefly, "Now I want to know more."

"After round two," Alison smirked as she climbed up the bed, straddling the woman's face. "Squeeze my thigh if you need to breathe."

… …

CeCe had been rather vague about their weekend plans, only telling Emily they were going to the Hamptons. Emily had tried and failed to get any more information out of the blonde, so when getting dressed she'd settled on a simple v-neck black mini dress, a choice she hoped would be suitable for whatever the blonde had in store.

A party was nowhere near the top of Emily's expectations, fortunately, she was dressed appropriately and blended in decently with the other guests. The sun had long gone down and Emily stood on a very lavish yacht, cruising through the waters of the Southampton. It was close to midnight, and deciding to get away from the crowd, Emily and CeCe had gone up to the yacht's upper deck, where they drank and listened to the sound of the waves lap against the boat. The dark sky was filled with twinkling stars, and the water's surface glowed softly.

If it weren't for CeCe, Emily would have felt completely out of place. All of the party guests were clearly affluent, oozing of money and all seemingly familiar with one another. There were a few faces Emily recognized and she tried not to be completely starstruck when CeCe made introductions. CeCe never strayed far from her side and it was comforting in the midst of how new and unfamiliar everything felt.

"Thank you for letting me take you away this weekend," CeCe purred, her breath warm against Emily's ear.

"Thank you for inviting me, all of this is very…impressive. I was a little nervous at first, still kinda am honestly, but I'm having a really good time." Emily admitted, It was hard not to enjoy herself with delicious food, drinks, and company as beautiful as CeCe.

CeCe's smile was alluring, "Good, but you shouldn't be nervous. Once your billboards go up, companies will be fawning all over you, and all of this will become very routine."

Emily looked at the blonde's face, CeCe had been so supportive since they'd met and it never seemed to waver, "You really believe that?" Emily chuckled, "Modeling never even crossed my mind. I never really considered doing anything other than swimming," she shared.

"That's a shame because you're absolutely gorgeous," CeCe ran a finger along the neckline of her dress, pulling down slightly to reveal a red mark, "Even when you're covered in hickeys." Emily shifted, biting her lip, suddenly staring at the floor. CeCe slid a finger along the underside of her jaw to her chin, lifting her head. "It's okay, Alison can be…excessive."

Emily thought she did a decent job of covering the marks but CeCe, like her sister, was very observant, "You're not pissed?"

CeCe shook her head no, "They'll fade, and I'm patient." CeCe's hand traced back up Emily's jaw and swept her hair behind her ear.

"The two of you are something else," Emily took a drink from her glass, wagging a finger at CeCe. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything, Americano," CeCe said with a sincerity that made Emily's knees weak. The effect CeCe had on her was only rivaled by Alison.

"What's the deal with Paige and Alison? Paige told me her side of the story…I guess I'm wondering if there's another." Emily asked, it had been on her mind since their lunch date. Paige's insistence on bringing up Alison and her job was odd at a time when the two of them should have been focused on each other.

CeCe raised her brows, appearing somewhat taken aback by the question. Emily could understand why, it was a complete detour from their current conversation. Emily would have asked Alison directly if she thought the EIC would give her an answer.

"Whatever PigSkin told you is probably true, she loves telling people how much Alison terrorized her." CeCe rolled her eyes, finishing off the rest of her drink. She leaned over the railing and wrapped an arm around Emily so they were both facing out toward the shimmering water.

Emily relaxed into CeCe, enjoying the patterns the blonde was tracing on her stomach, "I'm not judging, but it sounds like things got pretty out of hand. How did it get so bad between them?"

"It started with Spencer. Paige, and her never really got along. They both played field hockey and Paige was always insanely competitive about it. She hated that Spencer was better, so one day she told the school that Spencer was abusing amphetamines. It started a shitstorm at school, at home, in the media, it was everywhere. We were all already going through a lot but that just broke Spencer. Our families had her committed. With Spencer out of the way, Paige became the field hockey team captain."

"That's…a lot," Emily tried to process what she was hearing.

"Yeah, I'm sure PigSkin left that part out." CeCe's tone was a mix of weariness and resignation. Clearly it was still a sore subject, "Anyways, yes, things went too far. Alison crossed the line too many times to count. She tormented Paige every day until Spencer came home. What she did wasn't right, but Paige wasn't completely innocent."

Emily was at a loss for words. She knew there was probably more to the story but CeCe had given her enough that she could see there was wrongdoing on both sides. She silently hoped that if she ever had kids, they'd be boys, girls were terrible.

"I could use another drink, you?" Emily offered, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Absolutely,"

It meant Emily had to pull away from CeCe's embrace, which she did with reluctance. Before she could get too far, CeCe reached out to stop her, "Slow down, pretty girl," the blonde pulled Emily back, "I gave you information…what do I get in return?" Her voice took on a sultry tone.

Emily leaned in closer to CeCe, inhaling the scent of vanilla with a sweet, fruity undertone. CeCe smelled almost edible and she looked amazing in the white off the shoulder dress she'd chosen for the night. A faint smile crossed Emily's lips as her fingers glided up the sides of CeCe's neck, causing the blonde to close her eyes. Slowly, Emily drew CeCe's face closer to hers and placed a soft kiss on her temple. "How about a dance?" she asked softly.

It wasn't the kind of kiss either of them wanted but CeCe, true to her word about being patient, didn't complain. As they pulled away from each other and began to head back to the party, Emily was immediately stopped by the sight of another blue eyed blonde. Although she wasn't doing anything wrong, she felt as if she'd been caught red-handed. Her body tensed and CeCe began to stroke her back in a reassuring manner.

"Uh... Can you... Can you go get the drinks? I'll catch up with you," Emily stuttered out the request.

"Sure, just don't keep me waiting too long," CeCe replied, giving Emily a gentle squeeze before moving away. She exchanged a brief smile with the other blonde as she left.

Hanna and Emily stared at each other for what felt like forever. How long had Hanna been standing there? What had she seen? What had she heard?

"It's not what it looks like," Emily blurted out, feeling exposed.

Hanna chuckled, "So, you're not into CeCe?"

Emily let out a sigh, and her shoulders dropped, "Okay, it is what it looks like."

"Then why didn't you kiss her?"

"I don't know, I was going to and then I punked out. It's complicated…" Emily began, "Two weeks ago, I was crashing on my best friend's couch, ugly crying almost every night over my ex. Now I'm on this huge boat with my boss's sister who's confident and supportive, and practically drips sex, but…" Emily hesitated, uncertain of how much she should share.

"But what? It sounds like things are looking up," Hanna laughed.

"But what about Alison?" and Paige, Emily added silently.

"What about Alison?" Hanna repeated the question, an indiscernible expression on her face. "She's not here," Hanna made a show of looking and gesturing around.

She'd avoided thinking about it but Emily had to admit that she was reveling in the attention she received from the three women. Each of them made her feel different things, and for the first time in a long while, she felt genuinely wanted.

"It just feels..." Emily searched for the right word.

"Messy? It is," Hanna agreed with a knowing smile. "But embrace it, have fun. Worry about the rest later."

Selfish was the word Emily would have used but Hanna's argument was still valid. Emily had spent most of her life in a committed relationship, and now she was single, it was her time to let loose. She could enjoy both Paige and CeCe's pursuit of her, she didn't have to choose. There was nothing wrong with keeping her options open. As for Alison, whatever pull they had toward each other would fizzle out eventually, it could never be anything more so that was the only other option, for now, she could enjoy that too.

… …

The rest of the night was a blur. When Emily and Hanna rejoined the party, the music had changed dramatically, and the classy atmosphere had dissolved into something much more colorful. Shots were being passed around, along with a few other party favors, and the stiff dancing was quickly turning to grinding and dry humping as people shed their inhibitions. Everyone was a lot looser and obviously enjoying themselves. Emily indulged in a few shots but declined the other party favors. She and CeCe danced, their bodies pressed together, hands exploring, and Emily couldn't recall the last time she had felt so free.

Emily slowly awakened to an unfamiliar room spinning and out of focus. Her surroundings were hazy, and she felt dizzy despite being sprawled out in a bed, a very comfortable bed. There was an annoying thumping in her head. It wasn't unbearable but she was definitely hungover. Emily squinted, trying to focus her vision, and as she turned her head, blonde hair came into view. CeCe was propped up on her elbow watching her, Emily let her eyes trail down CeCe's body. She was wearing an ivory bralette and matching panties, and though Emily wondered where her dress went, she wasn't going to complain.

"Wow," Emily said quietly. "You…wow."

CeCe blushed, and Emily noted that it was the first time she'd seen the blonde do so, "Wow yourself."

Emily glanced down, she too was only wearing her undergarments. "We didn't…right?" Emily questioned. She would remember if she and CeCe had sex, and they didn't, but there were clearly some gaps in what she did remember.

"Oh, you don't remember?" CeCe feigned being hurt. "I brought you here after the party and told you to pick a room, surprisingly you picked this one, and then you demanded that I undress and cuddle you,"

Emily could feel the heat in her neck and face rising as she covered her face with her hands, "Oh god," could she really be that touch starved?

"You said something about embracing the mess," CeCe reached out, tugging Emily's hands away from her face. "Don't hide, it was cute," the blonde smirked teasingly.

"Cute?" Emily groaned at the word. The room had stopped spinning and she wasn't feeling as dizzy, though the thudding in her head persisted. "Why was it surprising that I chose this room?"

Emily took in her surroundings, her eyes roaming the room, absorbing the details that had been hazy before. The walls were painted slate blue almost grey, an interesting choice for a bedroom. The rest of the room was dominated by beige and white accents, it was a nice balance. Her body sank into the soft bed, it was a comfortable respite from Toby's couch. A pair of doors, behind CeCe piqued her curiosity, she could only guess that it led to a balcony.

CeCe let out a small laugh, and her smirk grew wider, "It's Alison's."

"Oh god," Emily said again, louder that time. Of course, she spent the night cuddling with CeCe in Alison's bed. Emily didn't think much about fate or karma, but she was certain the universe was trying to fuck with her.

"Relax," CeCe pulled Emily's body against hers. "We can sleep in my bed tonight," CeCe teased kissing the shell of her ear.

Emily could feel lace covered breasts against her back, along with the warm skin of CeCe's stomach and thighs. It was almost enough to distract her from the feeling that her head would roll if Alison ever found out. She could hear Hanna's voice in her head, telling her to worry about the rest later.

"Come, I want to see the view." Emily gently took CeCe's hand, pulling her away from the bed and towards the balcony doors. CeCe followed willingly, her arms enveloping Emily's waist once they were outside.

Without her high heels, CeCe was slightly shorter than Emily, so she adjusted their positioning, embracing CeCe from behind as they both looked out at the scenery.

"So, which do you like better? Southampton at night out on the water, or the unobstructed view of the beach from here?" CeCe asked, turning in Emily's arms.

"Do I have to choose?" Emily asked with a playful smile, both views were incredible.

"Not right now," CeCe shook her head, blonde hair falling around her face. "I was thinking we could grab brunch at this little café nearby, and then, maybe jet skiing or a tequila ta-" CeCe's plans were interrupted by Emily pressing their lips together, it was short, it was chaste, but it was sweet.

"Let's do all of it," Emily pulled away slightly, placing a kiss on CeCe's forehead.

... ...

Author's Note:

Alison's having sex with random redheads. Emily's getting closer to CeCe. Paige is asking too many questions. What could go wrong?