Rule #3: Always Start With a Conversation
Alison took a deep breath as she walked into the meeting room. She still felt terrible about using Emily in order to get close to the National Swim Team. Today she was going to announce that Focus D will be endorsed by Emily Fields, aka America's Mermaid. Deep inside of her, Alison hoped her directors were going to confront her decision. Maybe they would claim that they hadn't had a say on this decision. Perhaps Cece was going to say that Emily wasn't the right choice because they needed an outspoken athlete. Or Spencer was going to find a mistake in the contract and they would have to do it all over again – and by then the CIA will have concluded that there was no shady business going on the swim team.
"Alison, what are you waiting for?" Cece called out and Alison blinked awake, realizing she had stood in the doorway for too long. All her directors and her assistants were staring at her. She only cleared her throat and walked into the room with all the dignity she could muster.
"Well, as you know, I called you here because I have a big announcement to make," Alison started straight away. She didn't like meetings that dragged on and on anyway, "I have found an athlete to endorse Focus D."
"Without consulting us?!" Spencer shot up her brow, asking one of the questions Ali had foreseen.
"It was an opportunity I could not pass."
"Well, they better fit in the budget!" Spencer complained.
"Who is the athlete, Alison?" Jason, the actual financial director, asked.
"Emily Fields," She answered and the people in the room let out a few gasps, "Some of you might know her as America's Mermaid."
"And how did it happen?" Cece asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Alison pulled out her best poker face and told them the story she memorized in front of the mirror this morning, "I met her during the swim team's ball for charity. She was talking about how she needed publicity now that she's slowly getting back on track and I saw that as an opportunity because we need a big face for our new brand. Then I made a proposal and she accepted."
"How much, Ali?" Jason went straight to the point.
Ali took a deep breath, "She's doing it for free."
"What?!" Spencer slammed the table.
"I offered her a number and she just told me she was happy only with free publicity. I didn't question it."
Jason looked at her as if she was crazy but accepted her answer anyway.
"And what about her contract?" Spencer asked.
"I'm handling it."
"What, you won't even let me see it?!"
"Spencer, I'm the CEO of this company, I'm fit enough to write a contract," Ali shot back, "Does anyone have any more questions?"
"Well, I'm all for it!" Cece commented, "Emily's got a wonderful body to work on."
"Please, don't say that in front of her," Alison reprimanded and walked to the door, "You're all dismissed now."
Emily was drinking coffee in a cafe near the National Swim Team training facilities when her phone rang. It was Hanna.
"Han? Everything okay?"
"I'm fine," Her curt reply let Emily know that something was definitely not fine, "Where are you, Emily?"
"I'm drinking coffee while I wait for Paige," The brunette glanced out of the window to see if her fianceé wasn't coming, "Why?"
"Oh, nothing," Hanna replied in a sarcastic tone, "Why didn't you tell me you're going to endorse Focus D, that is, may I remind you, the brand I'm working on?!"
Shit! Emily didn't see that coming.
"I'm sorry, Han," She apologized, "Who told you that?!"
"Who, of course?! Alison DiLaurentis!" Hanna replied and Emily swore that her best friend was actually screaming on the phone, "She told me that she met you during that charity party AND that you're doing it for free!"
Emily didn't know what she should say because that was one thing she didn't expect. Of course, she never meant to leave Hanna in the dark but she also couldn't tell her the real reason behind her deal with Alison. Another thing: she had no idea what Alison told Hanna, so if she says something she might contradict the other blonde and Hanna is quick to catch on those things. Therefore, she opted for her last resort.
"Han, Paige is coming, I'll explain everything later!"
"Emily, wait-!"
The swimmer hung up her phone and rubbed her temples. Her deal with Alison was going to be more complicated than she thought.
"Ali?" Spencer knocked on her door, "Can I come in?"
"Sure," Alison sat back on her chair, "I was about to leave, but sure."
"I wanted to talk to you about Emily Fields."
"Go on."
"Ali, when I told you to get close to Emily Fields it didn't mean you had to endorse her!" "You wanted me to sleep with her, but I can't do that because Emily's engaged," Alison lied. Of course, she was not going to tell Spencer the truth about her deal with Emily, "I had to find my way around."
"Do you realize that this could backfire on you, Alison?" Spencer pointed, "Not only you'll be close to her, but if Emily is involved in this it will damage your reputation."
"That's a risk I'm going to take," Alison said, "And Emily is not the enemy here, Spencer."
"You can't know that for sure."
"I just feel it, okay?" Ali ran a hand through her blonde locks, "Do you know how many times my gut feeling has saved us?!"
Spencer rolled her eyes, "More than I care to admit."
"Then just trust me, okay?"
Her partner just stared at her. Alison knew Spencer didn't trust her fully on this yet.
"I will," The lawyer went back to the door, "But don't fuck this up, Ali. I mean it."
Emily took a deep breath as she stood outside Alison's door. This Saturday was the day of the first lesson and Emily couldn't help but feel nervous. What if Alison told her she was a total failure? What if there was no way to save her relationship with Paige? No, Emily shook her head. She was going to be positive and believe things were going to get better. Alison was going help her and she was going to win Paige back.
Therefore, Emily closed her eyes and knocked on the door three times. Alison opened the door and Emily gasped softly. The woman in front of her wasn't the femme fatale that stole the heart of half America. She was just an ordinary woman: natural blonde curls, deep blue eyes, a GAP brown sweater and a pair of faded blue jeans. Yet, there was a confidence in the way Alison moved that was sexy by itself and it helped that Alison was naturally gorgeous. Emily was dressed in black pants that supposedly made her butt look good and a navy long-sleeved shirt that made her boobs stand out. Even so, Alison was sexier than her in that moment. At least that's what Emily thought because she couldn't tear her eyes away from the blonde.
"Hi, Emily," Alison said, apparently oblivious to her ogling, "Come on in."
The swimmer quietly nodded and walked into Alison's apartment. It was smaller than Emily had pictured, but there were touches of class and posh in the decoration, from the immaculate white leather sofa in her living room to the expensive bottles of whiskey on display in her open cupboard.
"Your place is really nice," Emily commented absentmindedly.
"Thanks," Alison nodded, "Care to join me in my office? You need to sign our contract."
"Okay," Emily let Alison guide her to a small room next to what appeared to be the main bedroom. Emily caught herself staring at that bed for too long, thinking about how many people Alison had taken home.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Alison, who opened the door and flicked on the lights. Emily took in her surroundings as Alison turned on her Mac and began to type something. That's when Emily noticed two big shelves full of books standing near Alison's desk. She walked to the shelves and read a few titles: "To Kill a Mocking Bird", "Oliver Twist", "A Christmas Carol"… Much to her surprise, Alison had a collection of classics. Emily was half expecting the books to be about business, marketing, stock actions and stuff.
"See anything you like?" Alison crept up behind Emily, scaring her with her presence and intoxicating her with her vanilla's perfume.
"I-I didn't know you were into literature."
"I am, but the papers don't talk about it, huh?"
Emily laughed softly, "No, they don't."
"Do you like literature as well?" Alison asked.
"Not really," Emily smiled sheepishly, "I've always been a typical jock in that sense. But there's a book that really gets me."
"What is it?"
"Great Expectations."
"This one?" Alison went back to her desk, opened the first drawer and fetched a hard covered book from it. Then, she walked to Emily and handed it to her. Emily's brown eyes lit up as her hand caressed the hardcover of the book.
"Pip always gets Estella in the end," She commented, unsure if Alison was listening to her.
"I know," The blonde replied, "I read the end for the millionth time yesterday. It's my favorite book as well."
Emily looked up from the book's cover and found Alison staring at her. They held their gazes for a moment and Emily had a strange feeling in her guts. Strange, but not unpleasant. Maybe it was just because it's the first time someone understands her passion for "Great Expectations". Emily never had this connection with anyone before.
"You can keep it if you like it," Alison offered gently.
"I don't know," She shyly refused, "It's your favorite book too."
"I probably read it too much," Alison snorted, "At least that's what Cece says."
"Cece?"
"My older sister."
Emily knew Alison had two siblings but they weren't mentioned a lot in her interviews. Maybe it's because Alison wants to keep her family to herself, Emily speculates. She does that as well. That's why she very seldom mentions her parents are dead on interviews.
"I think I'll keep the book then," Emily smiled softly and put the book inside her purse.
"Don't mention it," Alison winked, "Let's talk about your contract now."
"What about it?"
Alison took Emily's wrist, dragged the athlete back to her desk and showed her a document, "I added a confidentiality clause just to be safe. We are not to mention this agreement to anyone."
"Sure," Emily nodded. If the media found out about this, her marriage would be over and so would be her career, "What about your employees?"
"What employees?"
"Well, someone must've helped you with that contract," Emily said, "And someone will notice you're not paying me."
"I made this contract on my own, though Spencer hates me for it."
"Spencer?"
"Spencer Hastings, my Juridic Director," Alison explained, "She always writes all of our contracts and stuff, but I wrote this one. And Jason, my brother and Financial Director, is happy that he won't have to pay you."
"Wow," Emily rolled her eyes, "But did you tell them about… our situation?"
"No," Alison stared her deep in the eyes, "This is between you and me."
The brunette swallowed hard. Was Alison flirting with her?
"G-Good."
"I'll give you some time to read it alone. After you sign, come meet me in the living room. I'll be waiting for you," Alison winked and squeezed Emily's forearm. Emily shivered and followed Alison with her eyes and she walked out of the office.
Emily went to Alison's living room after reading and signing the contract only to find the blonde woman twirling a glass of red wine in her hands.
"Want some?" Alison asked.
"I can't drink because of my medication and stuff."
"Oh, right," Alison drank the last of her wine and stood up, "Do you want some water instead?"
Emily sat on the couch and nodded, "Sure."
"I'll be right back."
The swimmer began to play with her fingers as she watched Alison go to the kitchen. She didn't know what to do or say because this was supposed to be her first lesson. Alison still hasn't talked to Emily on how she planned to approach the subject and Emily wasn't sure of what Alison's methods would be. She just hoped Alison wouldn't drag her to a night club and make her flirt with a random girl (only to get caught by a paparazzi and exposed on the media).
"What are you thinking of?" Alison startled her as she returned from the kitchen with a glass of water in her hands.
Emily took the glass and drank a big gulp of water, hoping it would calm her nerves a little. Then, she finally found the courage to speak.
"How are we going to do this?"
"This what?"
"The seduction classes."
"Oh," Alison nodded in acknowledgment, "I think we should start with a conversation."
"A conversation?"
"More like an interview," Alison explained and sat beside Emily, "I'm gonna ask some questions and you can answer them, but only if you feel comfortable enough."
"Oh, okay," Emily thought that was actually a good idea, to begin with.
"So, can we start?"
"Sure."
"Emily, how long you and Paige have been together?"
"Ten years, I think," Emily counted on her fingers.
Alison looked shocked, apparently counting as well, "Wait, so you've been together since you were fifteen?!"
"Yes," Emily frowned, "Why?"
"Was she your first kiss and your first… you know?"
"No, she wasn't my first kiss," Emily didn't answer the last question on purpose, "Why?"
"I don't know. I just think it's weird to stay with your high school sweetheart for the rest of your life," Alison shrugged nonchalantly. But then, again, she wouldn't know. She hadn't had a high school sweetheart.
"Well, some of us still believe in true love," Emily replied, a little annoyed, "I mean, it's okay to sleep around if you want, but some of us are still romantic at heart."
Alison chuckled at the dig, "Does Paige believe in true love too?!"
Emily huffed. Alison's reply hurt her more than it should have, "Well, you might be used to throwing people away, Alison. But I believe in relationships and in fixing them."
"You can't fix what doesn't want to be fixed," Alison shot back with way more honesty than she wanted. Emily rolled her eyes, ran a hand through her hair and slouched on the couch, "You're a hopeless romantic, Emily. Be careful not to get your heart broken."
"I don't know what am I doing here when you don't believe in love, Alison," Emily picked her purse in a silent threat to leave, "I thought we were supposed to help each other."
"I am trying to help you here, Emily," Alison replied calmly.
"Then teach me how to seduce a woman!"
"Like this?!" Alison suddenly grabbed Emily by the neck and pulled her so close that there was barely an inch between their noses. Emily noticed Alison's sweet breath on her mouth and made the mistake of looking into the other woman's eyes. How many shades of blue, gray, and green swam in those orbs? Emily didn't know because she lost count. She closed her eyes so as to not lose herself again and felt Alison massage the back of her neck. Emily didn't want to admit it, but she slowly relaxed into her touch.
It might have been a second, it might have been an eternity but Alison finally pulled away.
"I think we had enough for today," The blonde scooted over to the other edge of the couch.
"I think so too," Emily awkwardly coughed.
"I'll be calling you this week," Alison announced, "We need to schedule a photo shoot."
"Okay," Emily nodded quietly, "See you then, Alison."
"See you then."
Emily got up and left, wondering why her heart was beating so fast.
Back in the apartment, Alison was thinking the same.
It took Alison just one week to organize a photoshoot and Emily didn't know if she was impressed or nervous. She didn't have much love for the cameras, especially when she wore leotards. Luckily, marine blue was just her color (thanks, Hanna!) and that made her feel slightly more confident. However, Emily couldn't help but feel uneasy as she watched Paige glaring daggers at the arm Ben Coogan from the male team had around her waist. They were currently posed together and Paige's jealousy confused her. Why would she cheat and then be jealous?
"Emily," Alison DiLaurentis called her attention. Of course, she would attend to the photoshoot, even though Emily hoped she didn't. It was uncomfortable to be around Alison, considering all the information the blonde had on her. Though Alison wasn't treating her differently, she still made Emily jumpy.
Alison quietly walked to her and gestured for the photographers to wait. Then, she stood in front of Emily and Ben and analyzed their current position: they were hugging, arms around each other's waist. Nothing too close or imposing, but with a hint of romantic subtext. Alison took Emily's face gently in her hands and tilted her chin to the opposite side of where Ben was standing. Like that, she was facing away from him, "Give it a little more space between you two and the pose will be perfect."
Alison walked back to her place and Emily frowned as she realized Paige had watched the whole interaction intently.
After a few pictures, Ben was given a break so Emily could be photographed alone. She had to lie in silky sheets that resembled the sea and pose for the cameras. It was probably cringy as fuck because in no way was Emily a sex woman.
That is until Alison decided to interfere again.
This time, she knelt in front of Emily and slid her hand underneath Emily's hip, making the brunette gasp in surprise.
"Excuse me," Alison said so as to not scare the other woman and adjusted Emily's hips to have her more exposed to the cameras. Then, she moved to her legs and strategically bent her knees. Emily thought Alison lingered on her skin for a little too long but she had not much time to think about because Alison slid closer to her head and threw Emily's hair back.
"There, there," Alison winked at her before turning away and Emily could hear Paige fuming on the other side.
This deal was not going to be easy.
OLYMPIC CHAMPION EMILY FIELDS TO ENDORSE FOCUS D
There are no details of the contract yet, but America's Mermaid had a photo shoot with Focus D's team, whose CEO is Alison DiLaurentis
Two weeks later, Paige left Emily alone again in a party. They were attending the Focus D Ball, where Emily was supposed to be talking to journalists, and Alison and her team were supposed to be meeting up with investors. The swim team was obliged to go because Focus D endorsed two of their athletes, but that didn't mean Emily wanted Paige to go. She knew that her fianceé felt left off on occasions like that. To be fair, Emily didn't give Paige much attention because of her interviews and maybe she was to blame.
Now Paige and Shana were nowhere to be seen – probably fucking in a secluded room. Sydney was talking to a woman in red dress with an elegant bun and glasses. Emily couldn't recognize her because she was facing her back. Aria was interviewing Dr. Rollins and Hanna was having a glass of champagne with a coworker Emily has seen but not recognized yet. In other words, Emily was all alone.
That is until Alison DiLaurentis came up to her.
"Enjoying the party, Emily?" She was wearing a red dress and, God, she looked even sexier now. Emily's mouth was dry and she took a while to respond.
"Yes, I am."
"It doesn't seem like it," Alison pointed out and stepped closer, "Where is your fianceé?"
Emily tried to stare straight ahead and not look at the blonde's face, "F-Fetching us a drink."
Alison leaned in, grabbed her hip, and whispered in her ear, "Liar. I've been watching you for fifteen minutes and I never saw her leave."
Emily blushed, but she didn't know if it was because Alison caught her lying or because she was standing too close. The blonde's vanilla scent invaded her nostrils just like that time in Alison's couch and Emily didn't know how to react.
Lucky for her or not, Paige showed up across the room. And she was watching the scene intently.
Alison followed her gaze and laughed softly.
"Your fianceé is the jealous type, isn't she?" Emily swears that Ali's lips brush against the shell of her ear as she speaks. Then, the swimmer dares to look up and finds Paige glaring at them, especially at the hand Ali keeps on her hipbone.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Emily presses a hand to Ali's chest and pushes her away as discreetly as possible. She didn't want to make a scene.
Still, Ali lingered dangerously close, "Oh, I think you do," she whispered, "She was jealous of Ben Coogan during the photo shoot and she looks like she wants to rip my throat right now."
"Alison!" Emily quietly reprimanded.
"Funny, she just left with Shana fifteen minutes ago," Alison remarkably noted, "Now she feels entitled to be mad at me just for entertaining you for a few seconds," At this, Alison playfully winks and leaves Emily to her own company.
Alison walked away from Emily and saw Paige marching towards her as if challenging Alison for the hand of a pure maiden. The blonde rolled her eyes. A woman is not a prize or a possession. But Ali wasn't one to back down from a challenge, so she sashayed towards Paige as well and they met halfway.
It's a battle between their fierce stares: Paige's explosive brown eyes and Ali's gelid glare. Paige bumps their shoulders as they walk by. Alison watched by the tail of her eye as Paige squints at her lack of reaction. She probably expected Ali to wince, considering that Paige seemed physically stronger than her. She didn't know that Ali was a (fit) CIA agent. Apparently, this was the last straw to the swimmer because she roughly pulled Ali by the arm, finally winning her attention.
"McCullers?" Ali raises her brow sarcastically. She had faced (and defeated) dozens of criminals scarier than Paige. And most of them had guns as well.
"I'll warn you just one time, DiLaurentis: stay away from my fianceé!" Paige growled.
Ali snickers, "Not confident on your game, huh?"
"She's not one of those bitches you like to fuck on your bed," Paige claimed and Alison smirked as she was proven right. Paige saw Emily as a possession, not as her fianceé.
"I never do anything unless they're willing."
Paige puffs her chest and steps closer to Alison in an attempt to scare her. Alison tilts her head in an unspoken provocation. If Paige wanted to punch her, Alison would let her. Her reputation as a businesswoman would remain unscathed whereas Paige could be kicked off from the swim team. Alison didn't care. When she fought in a war, she won.
"Ali," Suddenly, Spencer comes in between them and gives her a knowing look, "Aria Montgomery wants to talk to you."
"Saved by the bell," Alison scoffs at Paige and Spencer reprimands her with a glare, "Thank you, Spencer. I'm going to talk to her now. See you later, McCullers."
ALISON DILAURENTIS: "SPORTS CREATE THE GODS WE WORSHIP TODAY"
The sexiest woman in America gave 'The Rosewood Observer' an exclusive interview about her new brand, 'Focus D'
