Chapter Text
Andy leaves the office following an interview with an eyewitness. She’s in Paris as one of 3 leads on a major political expose, and this is an important step in her investigative journalism career so she wants to do well. The meeting was okay, not very informative, but she’s always believed the more data the better so the meeting was still productive, despite every question feeling like pulling teeth. That aside, she’s exhausted and she desperately needs coffee if she’s going to do anything else productive for the rest of the day.
Andy wanders around, passing the beautiful shops in the streets. It’s 4pm, meaning she’s managed to escape the lunch rush, and the streets are not yet filled to the brim with the after-work apero crowd - prime time for her to grab a coffee before heading to her hotel to debrief her notes. Every coffee she’s had in Paris has been better than the coffee back home, so she’s not picky and walks into the first cafe she sees. Inside is classically Parisian but modern leaning, and service is quick. She’s picked up her coffee and already turning towards the door when she feels a chill, the only warning before Emily Charlton strides in. Emily’s hair is chestnut brown, she’s typing quickly on her phone, and she’s dressed head to toe in Chanel. It’s such a shockingly nostalgic sight that Andy freezes, openly staring at the other woman. Emily must notice the attention because suddenly she’s lifting her gaze, and their eyes meet.
“Andrea?” Emily breathes, voice absent of the rigidity Andy had associated with it after their time together at Runway.
“Emily.” Andy echoes, voice sounding as shocked as she feels. “What are you doing here?”
Emily walks closer and it’s so disorienting to see Emily smiling at her that Andy almost does a double take.
“What a small world - I can’t believe you’re here. I’m in Paris for Fashion Week of course. Better question - why are you here? Are you permanently in Paris now?”
“No no, I’m here for work too,” Andy shakes her head, snapping back to her senses. “And congrats,” she gestures vaguely in the air, hoping it’s implying that she’s glad Emily finally got her dream. “It’s good to see you.” Andy adds with a smile, and she really means it. Up close, Emily hasn’t changed at all, but is also a completely different person. She’s glowing, like there’s a physical halo of light surrounding her, and she looks grown up in the way you wish for when you’re 22. It certainly doesn’t help that she’s always been prettiest when she smiles, and she’s doing more of it now than she had in all the years Andy had known her at Runway.
“It’s good to see you too,” Emily says with a soft smile, which is so stunning in its simplicity that it takes Andy’s breath away a little. “And well, thank you,” Emily continues bashfully, “although I haven’t forgotten that you’re the reason I didn’t get to do this 5 years ago.” She says the last part with a little playful grin to show that she’s only kidding. In her dreams, Andy had pictured that Emily would be vengeful, or cold, or at most distantly polite if she ever somehow saw her again. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined this version of Emily, playful and assured and not in the slightest bit angry about any of their past. She’s still reeling as Emily continues.
“How long are you staying?”
“A week, open to longer depending on the progress on the story I’m writing. What about you?”
Emily’s eyes light up at that and Andy knows what she might say before Emily even says it.
“I’m here for the full week obviously,” Emily gets a little grin that can only mean she’s plotting something or getting somewhere close to it, “which means we’re here at the same time and for the same amount of time. What a coincidence, huh?” she says in a way that implies she doesn’t think it’s a coincidence at all.
“You should give me a tour.”
Andy should really get used to being surprised by Emily Charlton but she never managed it back then and she’s not starting now.
“What tour?”
Then Emily is repeating it slightly more seriously, and it finally clicks.
“You should give me a tour of Paris, since you’ve been here before.” Andy swallows the discomfort of the reminder to make space for listening to what Emily is going to say next.
“You know, I’m actually glad I ran into you,” Emily is looking away now, but only for a brief moment before her eyes meet Andy’s again, this time with a sincerity that can’t be faked, a look that Andy has never seen on Emily before but instantly associates with the woman in front of her, this new and improved Emily. “I called you, after you left Runway, because I wanted to invite you to Paris.”
Emily’s words continue but Andy can barely keep up, straining her senses and mentally chiding herself to stay in the moment instead of melting into a puddle on the ground at the words she’s just absorbed.
Blissfully unaware, Emily continues, shy and earnest. “Miranda offered me a trip to Paris, a work one obviously, if I could somehow convince you to come. I think she wanted me to convince you to come back to Runway altogether, although at that time I knew it was both impossible and completely ridiculous.” Emily lifts her eyes, blinking slowly before she confesses quietly; “I wouldn’t have tried to convince you of anything of the sort - you were always set on journalism and I don’t do everything Miranda asks me, despite what people may think. But I wouldn’t have minded the company.”
The shell shocked way Andy is standing should have scared anyone, but Emily is thankfully not anyone, and not a stranger to confrontation. By the time Andy finds words, it’s been too long to be considered normal, and yet Emily is still just smiling at her prettily.
So prettily that it makes Andy throw caution to the wind, her previously briefly rehearsed answer flying out the window.
“Well then I guess we just have to do double the amount of tourist attractions to account for how overdue this is, huh?
She feels the smile on her face, knows it’s probably too big to be considered friendly instead of smitten, and yet still cannot bring herself to fix it.
“Are you free right now?”