THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS.
Alya Marie Yousefi-Dubois
29
Elysees, 8th
Executive Director at Dubois Cosmetics
Full Name: Alya Marie Yousefi-Dubois
Nickname: Ali
Age: 29
DOB: January 29th, 1992
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Gender: Female
Place of Birth: Paris, France
Arrondissement: Elysée / 8th
Sexual/Romantic Orientations: Bisexual
Religion: Muslim
Occupation: Executive Director at Dubois Cosmetics
PERSONALITY:
Goals/Desires: To take Dubois Cosmetics to a new level, to consider herself a success, to please her parents, to be happy, to learn to salsa
Fears: Spiders, rats, losing her family, failure, ending up alone, not feeling happy with her life, losing herself
Hobbies: Yoga, pilates, shopping, going to live music, dance, cooking, travelling, Netflix marathons
Likes & Dislikes: Iced coffee, freshly baked croissants, sunshine, dancing, festivals, the feeling of the sun on her skin, beaches, travelling, the smell of new leather, vanilla, liquorice, anything and everything that’s liquorice flavoured, cherries, fashion, make up, shoes, fresh bed sheets, family, friends, dinners out, dancing in the street, running through fountains, Netflix marathons, sunsets, having her hair done, photo albums, yoga, pilates, shopping, cooking, exploring new places, candles, spa days, library books, pineapple juice, rollercoasters, musicals, going to the theatre, jasmine tea, having her hair played with, Lindt chocolate truffles, home renovation shows, romantic comedies // spiders, rats, clowns, small holes, heavy metal music, backstabbing, being fake, overworking, hospitals, anti-feminists, instagram’s nipple censorship, pineapple on pizza, flavoured chocolate, early mornings, being disappointed, mess, crooked pictures, people who use her, cold weather, rain,
Hogwarts House: Gryffindor
Born to Firuz Yousefi & Celine Dubois. Celine was the heiress to the Dubois Cosmetics company (think Mac, Nars, they do good shit) and became CEO when Alya was young. Her father joined the company as COO to help Celine. This meant Alya didn’t see a lot of her parents growing up. She was primarily raised by a nanny who was also her father’s cousin.
Basically locked herself in bedroom on her 13th birthday and refused to come out until her parents agreed to actually spend time with her. This was a turning point for them and they have been a lot closer ever since.
She went to the American Business School in Paris, she graduated with a degree in Fashion & Luxury Retail Management, she then gained a masters degree from the same university in entrepreneurship and international business development.
Immediately went to work in the family business and worked her way up through the company thanks to hard work and a good old dose of nepotism. Although she’s the heiress to the company, she has worked hard to make sure she is respected and that the position is earned. She was made Executive Director on her 28th birthday.
She suffers from anxiety attacks when the pressure does get on top of her, she often passes out, but this doesn’t happen a lot.
When she’s at work, she’s a boss babe so works extremely hard, but as soon as she walks out of the office doors, she’s a different person. She’s the life and soul of the party, a free spirit and lives life to the fullest. Living like this makes it easier for her to keep the anxiety at bay. She’s the girl who goes to any live music event, dances in the rain, runs through a fountain, says yes to everything. She’s sunshine.
Her father was diagnosed with a heart condition just before she was made ED and she’s now stepping up to take more and more off of his plate so he can retire as soon as possible. Her parents do not know about the anxiety attacks.
She was raised as a muslim, her father’s religion. She is very much a modern muslim, she prays when she remembers, mainly her dad will come to her office so they can pray together. She observes Ramadan and the religious holidays, she also eats Halal. She has her beliefs but also still wears what she likes, dates who she likes and does sometime wrestle with the juxtaposition of it all.
She speaks fluent French (obviously), Persian and English.
She is constantly eating. If she’s seen without food, worry about her. She adores liquorice and she will not be judged for it.
She can be a stubborn little shit.
POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS:
Cousins - Completely open, anyone on her mother’s side would be white, father’s side are Iranian.
Friends / best friends - She has lived in Paris her whole life, so would have a lot of longstanding and new friendships.
Neighbours - Anyone in Elysees, she has lived around the area her whole life.
Assistant - Her right hand, probably the closest person to her. Knows far too much.
Former / current flings - Self explanatory
Ex boyfriends/girlfriends - Again, self explanatory.
One night stands - Same as above
I’m sure there’s a bajillion others and I am totally up for plotting, so let the brainstorming begin!
STARTER: for @alyayd
LOCATION: Industry party for Vogue France
TIME: 8:30 PM
Although Camille wasn’t easily intimidated by industry events, tonight’s party hosted by Vogue France was a bit of a different story. Being associated, in any way, with the prestigious fashion magazine felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity and while she was sure to have to put up with some of the world’s most vapid and egocentric individuals, it finally seemed worth the potential reward.
In an effort to blend in amongst the crowd of socialites, designers and fashion extraordinaires, Camille had dressed herself from head-to-toe in her trendiest designer clothing. And from the plethora of guests who she had managed to network with, her effort hadn’t gone to waste. That is, at least, until a clutzy cocktail waitress backed into her arm, spilling a fountain of red wine down the front of her white Chanel blazer.
With a loud gasp, Camille’s mouth fell open, her body frozen in fear that one wrong move would worsen the potential staining. Or worse –– she would draw even more attention to herself and the fact that even after years of practice and exposure, she was truly still a fish out of water.
-
Alya wasn’t a stranger to these kind of events. Having worked at Dubois for years now and growing up as heiress to the company, she was well versed in them, but this was her first big event as Executive Director and she knew she had something to prove. All the big names would be there and if she had any hope of proving herself to be a worthy future CEO, she knew she would have to make a good impression.
Dressed to the nines in a way that made it look like she had simply thrown something on, as everyone else seemed to be, Alya was trying to blend in, quiet chats around the events, handshakes, bright smiles for complete strangers. She just had to get through tonight without a hiccup. It was her job and she knew she needed to do it, but as she greeted another person who claimed to know her and definitely didn’t, Alya could feel herself bristle ever so slightly. Excusing herself from a conversation, she made her way across the room, aiming for the bathrooms to have two minutes to herself.
As she crossed the room, she spotted the familiar blonde, her face breaking into a smile until she watched the wine instantly spill onto her white blazer, creating a giant pink stain. “Oh, shoot.” Grabbing two glasses of white wine from a passing waiter with a smile, Alya hurried as subtly as she could over to her friend. “Hey, want to come with me for one second?” Handing her one glass of wine, Alya linked her arm through Camille’s, using her body to hide the stain as she led the blonde to the bathroom. “I can’t fix it, but I have a spare outfit in my car if you need my driver to bring it in. I’ve got you, babe.”
starter for: @alyayd
location: alya’s apartment building in elysee
Sehwan let out a sigh as he let himself into the apartment building. In the year that he had been back in Paris, he had gone through 2 tenants at the apartment his mother had left for him. Not because it wasn’t a wonderful apartment - it absolutely was. But because he somehow managed to attract the flakiest tenants. As he took the stairs leading up to the 5th floor - preferring the physical exertion of the stairs to the cramped space of the elevator - Sehwan felt the familiar pang in his chest. Even after being here for a year and several visits to said tenants, he was still always struck by the lack of his mother’s presence when he walked into the familiar building. He couldn’t believe it had been eight years since she had walked these halls. But he quickly shook himself out of said thoughts as he began taking the stairs two at a time.
When he finally made it to the 5th floor, he moved to let himself into the apartment. The latest tenants had moved out after just 7 months as they were expats and had been relocated to some other European city by their jobs, their one complaint that the front door often got stuck. He had to shove his shoulder against the door to get it to open even after he unlocked it, a resounding noise echoing through the hallway, so he couldn’t really blame them. As they’d left quite suddenly, he hadn’t had a chance to inspect the apartment till now. Leaving the door open, he walked into the living room, immediately noticing the scratches and chips of the paint in the living room, where furniture had no doubt been bumped against the walls. Slowly, he walked into the kitchen, inspecting drawers as he went.
-
“Can you hold it, please?” Alya called out as she hurried through the front doors of her building, groaning as the people in the elevator ignored her and let the doors close. “Thanks a lot.” Checking her watch, she rolled her eyes and leaned down to scoop up her sausage dog, knowing that with the dog’s tiny legs, it would be easier to carry her than have her walk up the stairs to the penthouse. “Come on, sweetness, we’re going to walk it today.”
It took her a lot longer than she’d want to admit to climb the stairs and as she reached the fifth floor, she finally had to put Tatin down and take a little break. She was only a floor away, but with her legs feeling like lead and her dog having squirmed in her arms for around ninety percent of the way, she needed a minute to breathe. As Tatin began barking, Alya looked down, watching as the door barked at the glass pane in the door that led to the corridor of front doors. “Tatin, ssh.” Scooping up the dog again, Alya peered through the door, noticing the door wide open to an apartment she was familiar with. “Sehwan’s place. Let’s get you home first.” She hurried up the stairs to the top floor, scanning her key card before moving through the security door and into her hallway.
Dropping Tatin off in her penthouse and grabbing the only thing she could think could work as a weapon, a rolling pin, Alya slipped out of her heels and into her fluffy slippers, the only things comfortable enough to run in that were in reach, she made her way back downstairs to the fifth floor, shifting slowly inside of Sehwan’s apartment.
“Hello? I have my phone ready to dial the police, if you come out now, I’ll tell them you didn’t steal anything!” Holding the rolling pin up just in case she had to strike, she edged into the apartment, trying to sound like she wasn’t terrified. “The owner is on his way! I would get out of here before he arrives! And I am totally armed so don’t think about coming for me either!”
The mild panic and awkwardness was so unlike Alya, the pair so comfortable with each other they saw themselves like siblings of sorts. Caoimhín could talk to her about anything and know that after some light teasing, she would be there for him. Did he tell her everything? Of course not, but he knew he could and he was sure that she felt the same. Everyone was entitled to some mystery and privacy, so whatever it was that had her on edge, he wasn’t going push her about it.
It didn’t stop her antics from being hilarious, though, and he could’t help laughing as she tried to talk her way out of it.
Caoimhín walked outside with her and noted the deeper shade of red that appeared on her cheeks. Maybe they were related as they both seemed to embarrass easy. “Oh yea, it’s roasting,” he agreed in a mocking tone, the smirk growing.
“Yea, a friend works in this area, so I’ve been around here quite a bit. There’s a place we can go to just down here,” he answered, guiding them both as they were linked by their arms, walking down the Parisian street. “I haven’t seen you in a while…get up to much for valentines?”
-
It didn’t feel right, trying to keep a secret from Finn. For Alya, Finn was one of those friends where she never had to hide anything. Sure, he didn’t know every single crevice of her life, but she had never actively kept something from him before. In some ways, she wanted to tell Finn everything, tell him the history, the hurt and the confusion she now had that Luca was back in her life, but there was also a big part of her that didn’t want to let herself believe that she still had feelings. If she told Finn, everything would be real.
“Stop, I heat easily.” As soon as her head was turned away from him, she pulled a face. I heat easily? Was that really the best she could come up with on the spot. God, Alya.
Checking her phone quickly as they walked down the street, Alya dropped it back into her bag to focus fully on her conversation with one of her best friends. “Oh okay, cool, I’ll just follow you.” She didn’t know the area well, it wasn’t an area of Paris she often ventured to so she was glad that Finn knew his way around. “Um, not really. I went out for Galentine’s Day, I went to the festival thing.. Then I went home and spent the evening with Tatin and most of the menu from the Chinese restaurant around the corner.” Of course she’d leave out the not so minor heart flutters she’d had at the festival. “You?”
How long had it been since she’d occupied his mind, infiltrating every other thought? Since the chance encounter of her dropping into Desiree’, what followed was a series of events that once again found Luca at a crossroad, one where Alya fit perfectly into place once more, but with so much left unsaid. Was it right for him to give her his number? Was it right for him to send her flowers? Was it right for him to text her and slowly get back into a new normal routine? He didn’t realize how much he’d missed being in a semblance of a routine with her until everything seemed to pick up again. It wasn’t back to where they were before no, but Luca couldn’t help but feel that somehow the universe was giving him his third and final shot. He’d once heard a customer talk about how incidences happened in threes, meeting Alya in university, seeing her again at a business event, to now? He’d be a fool to say that things didn’t happen by chance.
Which was why when a new chance came into fruition, one that had the florist wandering around in Palais-Bourbon for a delivery, he couldn’t help but think to himself what she might have been up to. Had she had a busy itinerary? Was she trapped in a meeting that didn’t allow her to sneak away to have her beloved snacks? Was her smile still brilliant, hair still soft as silk, aura still warm and inviting as it’d always been before? After he’d delivered a rather large order of arrangements for a hotel in the area, Luca found himself walking down the path that led him to Cafe Du Temple. Tourists and residents alike seemed to be surrounding the cafe, trying to order drinks and pastries at a rapid rate. That was when his eyes caught the sign for a pastry special, one that once again brought out in the forefront of his mind, thoughts of her. Taking out his phone, he scrolled till he saw their messages together, he hesitated a moment before deciding to take the plunge. There were no other deliveries for the day and Maeva and the new hire would surely be fine back at the physical location without him, wouldn’t they?
L: Hey! So I’m at Cafe Du Temple and they have a some very tempting pastries and a questionable liquorice based drink special. Made me think of you. If you’re around, I’ll be here for a bit catching my bearings from a delivery. If not, hope you’re having a good day. x.
With the text sent, Luca walked up to the line, spotting a table outside that he could sequester into. To his surprise, he’d received a text back from Alya that she also just happened to be in the same neighborhood, she’d meet him shortly. Getting out of the line then, he decided to secure the table, taking a seat and telling a few others who wanted to take the chance to strike up a conversation that he was terribly sorry but he was waiting on someone. Waiting for her. Soon enough, he found his eyes locking with hers from the distance, the tell-tale sign of his heart beating rapidly at just the sight of her coming back once again. Offering her a smile as she was finally within earshot of her, he said, “You came,” A bit bashfully, before he continued. “I haven’t ordered yet, but I can grab it now if you want to wait here.”
-
As soon as the text had pinged in, Alya had been staring at the screen, trying to think of what to reply. It had taken pretty much all of her self control not to immediately reply with a yes but the text thread from the week before had stopped her. Should she really put herself in this position again? it had been clear from the second she had laid eyes on Luca again that her feelings hadn’t changed, but he had still left, he had still turned her down when she invited him over. If she said ‘yes’ to meeting him now, would she just be setting herself up to get hurt again? Why should she meet someone who clearly wasn’t interested?
“Alya!” Snapping out of her own head, Alya looked up at her assistant, instantly rolling her eyes. “You’ve been staring at your phone for ten minutes, just go already, yes, I ready the text from over your shoulder and you didn’t even know I was there.” Rolling her eyes again, Alya didn’t need convincing twice and quickly tapped out an agreement to meet Luca before hitting send and slipping her feet back into her high heels. “Have fun.” Grabbing her bag, Alya made her way to her office glass. “Eat glass, see you tomorrow.”
Arriving at the cafe a little while later, Alya ran a hand through her hair, adjusted her outfit and took a deep breath before walking inside. It was like they were drawn together as their eyes instantly locked together and after offering a small smile from a distance, Alya made her way over to the table Luca was sitting at. “I said I would, how are you?” Should she hug him? Kiss him on the cheek?Stand awkwardly until they both sat down? Nodding, Alya set her bag down on the table. “Sure, you know I’ll eat anything. Can you get me a glass of water as well, please?” Sitting down on one of the chairs, she crossed one leg over the other, tugging her skirt down a little to cover a little more of her thigh.
As Luca appeared back at the table, she smiled and took the glass of water from the tray. “Thank you. So, has business been booming since the valentines event?”
Micayla had long ago realized that if she insisted on running Le Rouge the way that she did, she needed to find other activities to do during her time off that were just as engaging mentally as managing her club. Simply relaxing wasn’t really an option as she knew she would get too bored. So she took up various classes that not only stimulated her mentally but also physically. Today’s class? Salsa.
She was afraid there were not enough participants when a familiar looking brunette came rushing into the room. As the instructor paired Micayla and Alya up, a short laugh escaped her as she shook her head at Alya’s question. “Oh, definitely not a pro.” she answered easily, pushing herself off the wall she had been leaning against. “This is really the first actual dance class I’ve ever taken.
-
Brushing her hair back and away from her flustered face, Alya flashed a grin towards the woman. “Well, I’ve done dance before, but this is my first ever Salsa class, so we’re in the same boat at least.” It had always been something Alya had wanted to do, more so since she had actually sat down and written out a bucket list, with learning how to salsa being one of the top objectives. With work as busy as it was, she needed to do things outside of it, more than just exercise classes, dinners and drinks, she needed something solely for her.
“At least we already know each other and we don’t have any of that awkwardness.” Grinning at Micayla, Alya winked before turning to the class teacher, holding her hand out to the girl as they were instructed to take their partner’s hand. “I want you to practice some turns and twirls, I’ll come to each pair individually.” Looking back to her partner, Alya giggled before holding their hands up in the air. “After you, mademoiselle.”
“I won’t have you waiting long,” he promised, “I wouldn’t want you to bite me in anger.” Light laughter escaped his lips as he watched the pup devour her treat. As much as Ronav cared about seeing his human customers enjoy their coffee delights, there was a different type of happiness when he saw an animal having the time of their life. Genuine happiness. “She’s more than welcome to stop by daily,” he offered. “I’m obliged to say that since your business provides me with financial freedom, but I wouldn’t mind seeing her cute self every day.”
He made change quickly, nodding as she spoke. “This should be it,” he mumbled, sliding some coins back her way. “I too, enjoy a nice iced coffee,” Ronav began, “but people that drink iced coffee in ice cold weather seem to hold a different type of…standing. That’s a lot of cold circulating throughout a body. Intense, really,” he teased. “I’m glad you like it!”
Customer satisfaction meant a lot to him. Perhaps too much. It meant the beginnings of possible connections, whether it would be friendships, enemies, or strictly customer-consumer. It was fascinating. “If you feel like saying it’s the best you’ve ever had, I wouldn’t mind hearing that,” he grinned, “but I’ll be sure to remember this for the next time you come in, how’s that sound?”
-
Smiling down at her dog, Alya gave the lead a little more slack, knowing Tatin would likely walk a few circles around the cup as she tucked into her snack. “I’d normally say, that she would never, but knowing how much they say dog’s take after their owners, it wouldn’t surprise me if she did.” Slipping her phone out of her bag, she quickly snapped a picture of her dog eating the treat before looking back to Ronav. “I think her vet would have more an issue with me bringing her by everyday, but I think we know exactly where to come whenever she simply can’t go another day without a pup cup.”
“You’re fine, just put it in the tip jar or charity box or something.” Taking another sip of the iced coffee, Alya sighed contently. For her, she could always get iced coffee as sweet as she wanted it and she was always in the mood for an iced drink, they were just easier for the occasionally clumsy girl. “My grandmother always used to say we should drink the temperature, it regulates us more so we don’t feel the weather as much. I don’t know how right she is, but it stuck with me.” Taking another sip, Alya smirked a little before shrugging her shoulders. “I would be cheating on my usual barista if I did, it’s very good, I just usually go for a lighter blend is all. But with this roast? It’s definitely up there.”
Nodding, Alya leaned down to pick up Tatin’s now empty cup, giving her pup a little scratch behind the ears. “Where is your shop based? I’m sure I can find an excuse to drop by, even if it is only to satisfy Miss Diva down here.”
When they both pulled back from the hug, blue eyes looked at her curiously, as she appeared to hesitate. That was odd, he thought to himself, brows coming together with concern. Caoimhín didn’t question her, though, giving the woman who he saw like a sister the benefit of the doubt, as he completely trusted her.
That was until she tried to speak and again, hesitation. What the fuck was going on? This was very odd. His eyes followed where she pointed, hand reaching up to his brow to see better, invested in whatever this act or lie was. There were no buildings that he could see that looked like they might suit a meeting, especially for a woman of her profession, and this caused a smirk to threaten at the corner of his lips. She was up to something and he would figure it out. Instead, he played along and nodded as she spoke. “Right, of course.” A laugh tickled the back of his throat but he coughed to mask it and smiled at her, trying his best not to make it noticeable that he knew something was going on.
The funniest part of it all was the fact she was standing in the flower shop of his best friend, Luca, the man he had been trying to set her up with for a while, but it had never worked out. It was like fate was also trying to force the two together and Caoimhín knew then that his opinion that the two would be perfect together was right.
It was obvious she was uncomfortable and as humorous as it was, Caoimhín didn’t pry, as he cared too much for her. “They can wait…” he said, following her to the counter. He laughed as she continued to panic and looked at her knowingly, except he didn’t know. All he knew was she was lying about something and he was determined to figure it out. “Tea sounds good.” The irishman picked up the flowers and held his arm out for her to link. “Maybe when we leave here that blush on your cheeks will disappear,” he teased, glancing at her before a small chuckle escaped him.
-
Even when things had been running smoothly for her and Luca all those years ago, they had made the decision to keep their tryst under wraps, just to avoid the outside pressures that would likely come from their families at the possibility of a personal, as well as professional, merger between the two empires. She hadn’t told anyone and subsequently, she had told no one about her devastation when he had left and unfortunately for her now, that ‘no one’ included the man she saw as a brother.
As he looked in the direction she pointed, Alya’s eyes widened ever so slightly, knowing that there really wasn’t much over there. “That general direction, you know, generally.”
It took every ounce of her willpower not to glance to the side at every movement from someone else in the shop. Could she really speak to Luca in front of Finn and remain completely calm? Probably not. He’d see straight through her, he always could. “Hm?” Her mind snapping back to the situation, Alya cleared her throat and stepped over to link her arm through her best friend’s. “Blush? I’m not blushing. Am I blushing?” Raising her free hand to her cheeks, she could feel the warmth and instantly, it got worse. “I’m not blushing, it’s just warm in here, that’s all.” Dropping her hand, she reached for the door handle, almost hurrying out of the store. Maybe it hadn’t been that warm in there, but Alya sure had been. “See, fresh air was all I needed. Let’s go get that tea, do you know this area well?”
It was only natural for the past to dredge up wasn’t it? He couldn’t say that he was surprised that Alya had brought it up with such a natural flair that he almost got lost in the conversation until he also remembered the connotations of that one particular business dinner. He’d been to many outings with the woman beside him, some on a friendly level, some on a strictly platonic level, and then one day it just wasn’t platonic anymore. He wouldn’t say he was haunted by her memory know, even anything she just remained relevant in his mind and now that the universe had decided this was the proper time to be reunited, everything felt elevated. He was glad for the cold, he was sure his cheeks were getting rosy again at the thought. “No ploys, Yousefi-Dubois, just business.” Luca bantered back, another line that he’d commonly used with Alya in the era where there was hope that they might get together, that the merger of Dubois and Nicoli Industries would come to fruition.
Oh, what could have been.
His thoughts were beginning to flood up again, the sound of her giggling and speaking sweetly to Tatin was oddly pulling him out while simultaneously burying him at the same time. How long had it been since he’d heard her melodious laughter? How long had it been since he’d been able to stare at her features, how the dimples pressed into her checks, how her lips curved as she went into thought. Only her thoughts were never kept inwardly, when she asked him why it felt he was light years away, he brought a hand back to brush against the nape of his neck, rolling his shoulders, “Honestly I think it’s just been a long day,” He said softly. And it’s been so long, that I hadn’t realized just how much I missed you. Everything that went unsaid just continued to bury him deeper and deeper into his self isolation.
It was comical how just as he was ready to retreat, how there was always something she could do to reel him back in. Before he could even register what was happening, he was listening to her explain which cherries were better and soon enough one was drawn to his lips, her finger tips along with it. He puckered slightly on the bite, getting the fruit and the surface of her finger tips along with it. Juice fell from the corner of his mouth, and yet all he could do was watch as she drew her hands back, taking in the last bit. Between the exchange and the perfectly tied stem that she deposited into the pot, he was stunned. Though he’d had his fair share of a romp or two in between, no one lit a fire within him the way Alya did, and that was evident by how flustered he’d become from the brief brush against his lips. How did he find himself now trying to figure out how to make that happen again? Could it even happen again?
Perhaps the box that was heading back to Desiree now officially did need to be sent. He was strumming up the courage to ask something, when another question hit his ears. “I- yeah they still are,” He said with a grin. “But you don’t have to treat me to that, I couldn’t impose.” And yet, he would have been glad to accept them. “Say, is the headquarters still the same address?” It was now or never wasn’t it? “I wanted to send something over, for your coffee table.” He continued, “I’ve just about finished it and well if you’re fine I’d love for you to receive it and then let me know your thoughts on it.” Luca knew though that the arrangement he’d be sending would intertwine and weave in all of her favorites. But with it he would place a card that would ask something that would be on the tip of his tongue, would it be okay to keep catching up? He also decided he would give her his new number, whatever number she might have had for him had since been disconnected, a ploy to get away from his father or any of his goons who would try to threaten the man back into the business. But he had to stand his ground, stick to his laurels, it’d already taken so much from him already. He looked down at her then, peeking at how she had some remnants of the cherries staining the corner of her mouth. He brought up a thumb, brushing gently against it until it withered away. “If it is okay, I’ll have it rushed, just please let me know when you can, if you want.” He said bashfully.
-
Just business.
Instantly, Alya looked around, determined to find something that could distract her mind from going back into their past, it was already happening too much. Although the memories were happy, some of the happiest she had really, they also managed to make her sad at the same time. Where would they be now if he he’d never have left? If he had spoken to her instead of cutting all contact? But even thinking about that caused that annoying ache in her chest to throb, an ache that had only reappeared since she had walked into the flower shop that day.
There was a time where the feel of his lips was as known to her as her own name but as her fingertips brushed against the soft swell of his top lip as she fed him the cherry, completely out of habit, Alya felt her breath catch slightly in her throat. Night after night, she had laid next to him in bed, smiling as she had traced the line of his lips, lips that would always pucker to kiss her fingers, just as they had slightly done before she had pulled them away. God, she’d missed him so much. “You’ve got a little..” Touching the spot on the corner of her own lip to let him know about the juice, Alya turned away again, trying not to think of what she would’ve done if they’d still been together. She’d have leaned in, kissing the juice away with a giggle.
Well done, Alya, now you’re going to think about kissing him for the next six weeks.
“You’re not imposing.” Pressing the box into his hand, Alya smiled before choosing a box of truffles for herself, handing over the money before putting the box into her handbag. “Headquarters? Of Dubois? Oui. We’ve been there the entire time the company has been open, I think we’re actually forbidden to leave.” Tilting her head to the side, Alya finally looked back at him as she shook her head. “Only if you let me pay for this one, I really can’t keep accepting these gifts when it must be causing your business a fortune.” The touch of his thumb caught her by surprise and she gasped before she could stop herself. Her lips parted as she looked up at him, she couldn’t ignore the intense pull that was between them. How easy it would be to slide a hand to the back of his neck, to stand on her tiptoes and to lean in, to feel his lips against hers again. Her eyelids fluttered slightly and for a split second, Alya felt her head lean forward, ever so slightly. His voice brought her back to earth with a bump and she took a small step back. She could feel the warmth of the blush on her cheeks and she could feel his influence in every part of her body. “Of course, of course. I’m sure it’ll be beautiful, but of course I can let you know.”
Looking down at Tatin, Alya tried to compose herself by taking a deep breath and reluctantly looking back at him, unable to help herself with her eyes running over his body on the way back to his face. “I should probably go though, this one has been out in the cold too long and I should, well, I should get home.” Sliding his coat off of her shoulders, Alya handed it over to him, now suddenly desperate to get out of there before she did something to embarrass herself and probably leave her with the sting of rejection. “Thank you for the coat and for the walk, I’ll.. I’ll see you around.” Nodding, Alya forced a smile before raising a hand in a wave. “Say goodbye, Tatin.” It was obvious she was in a hurry, but she needed to get out of there, away from the longing she felt whenever she looked at him. “Have a good day.” She nodded once more before she turned, trying to keep her walk at an even pace as she headed for the closet exit of the festival.
Luca: I will! We definitely will. Ginger really loves her walks. For such a tiny thing she can really go for long stretches of time, it's probably good that my legs can keep up with her and that they're good for ...the long stretches.
Luca: Some other time sounds good, phenomenal even. Have a good time wherever you're going today. Talk soon!
[ several hours later ]
Luca: [ Picture SMS, Ginger on her lead walking down a path in the park ]
Luca: Like I said, she certainly seems to take on a lot of your mannerisms if I recall correctly. It is 16:03 though, are you famished?
Luca: Can always raincheck, you looked comfortable. But Ginger probably will be a bit sad that she won't get to sniff around Tatin.
Luca: Something like that, helps that the sun is still shining.
Alya: [Photo SMS: A sealed tupperware box full of snacks with Alya's thumb up in the corner]
Alya: I brought snacks to the party.
Alya: You could always bring her over? The girls can meet and run around the living room if you want. That way, Ginger isn't sad and Tatin can climb on someone her own size.
Alya: I'm probably distracting you from your wall too much, aren't I?
Luca: She's an adventurer, truly must get it from you.
Luca: Oh? Ginger's actually eagerly waiting for her long walk once I'm done here for the day. We usually take a few laps around the park. You're welcome to join if you'd like?
Luca: Boldness always suited you too.
Alya: She did give me a dirty look when I only gave her one treat earlier, maybe she's me in dog form..
Alya: That does sound nice, we've only been on a short walk today, but that does also sound like I would need to get dressed and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Alya: Wear a happy colour and have a happy day, right?
