Work Text:
“Emily?”
Andrea called the redhead’s name with caution. She wasn’t sure if she liked her, but she needed a favor.
“What?” She didn’t even bother to look at her colleague. She was typing fast, and answering Andrea's question would be mechanical, just like every time the brunette asked something. How hard was it to just know what to do?
“Do you know Ross?”
“The accountant? Sure. Not personally though, do not ask me for his number.” Andrea noticed Emily roll her eyes, as she was saying those last words.
“Well, it’s almost exactly the opposite.”
“How can it be the opposite? Are you giving me his number? I’m not interested. And I’m quite offended you would see me with him. Have you seen his beard? Ew. Kissing him must feel icky. And he-”
“We should fake date,” Andrea blurted out. “Sorry. I cut you off. But we should fake date,” she repeated after realizing interrupting Emily was maybe not the move since she wanted something from her. Especially given how odd the proposition was. The redhead was not answering. However, she had finally looked up from her computer, trying to decipher Andy’s face, as if a new mystery had been added to the brunette.
Anxiously, Andrea started explaining. “Okay, so, I’m asking because he’s been creeping me out a little. When I see him at the cafeteria, he always looks at my body, and if our eyes have the stupid idea to meet, he winks. He also found my number, I don’t even know how! And he texted me that as long as I'm not someone’s property, he knows he can make me fall for him… He’s so wrong! It’s so gross. And so macho! If anything, it’s making me stay in the office at lunch to avoid seeing him… But he knows I work here, and even though it sounds like it, he’s not that stupid. I’m scared he’ll do more stalking if I keep being single… And I’m asking you specifically because we’re always working together. It wouldn’t be weird if we started dating. After all, the coworkers to lovers trope is quite famous! Please say yes! Plus, I’m pretty sure he’s afraid of you. You would be perfect for this role! Please, Emily!”
“Are you done?” The redhead asked, as apathetic as always.
“What do you mean?”
“Stop the yapping. I’m trying to work. When do you want us to start the act?”
“Wait, so…” Had Andrea heard that right? Was Emily actually implying she was okay with it? Without more questions or any resistance?
The redhead sighed. “I’ll do it.”
“Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you. Seriously. Oh we’re gonna be a great couple! Thank you,” Andrea shrieked in excitement. Maybe she should play the lottery today. “We can start tomorrow if it’s okay with you. I’ll text you tonight for the details of how exactly we fell in love. Rehearse well in case some people ask questions! I can already see Serena’s face, she’s gonna be so shocked!” The brunette felt a rush of adrenaline in her stomach. Wait… were those butterflies?
“I’m not surprised.”
It was the next morning. Andrea and Emily were announcing the big news to Serena, wondering if the blonde woman would be happy for their relationship. But apparently, Andy had to get to know her better.
“I kind of saw it coming. I may have glasses but I’m not blind nor stupid. I see the way you guys look at each other. Emily, every time Andy had a new outfit, you were practically drooling. You could convince others that it was jealousy because the clothes were pretty, but I knew you were just jealous to not be the one wrapping her body.” Andy choked. Interesting!
An hour later, when Emily left her desk to go on a break, Andy pulled her into a deserted meeting room.
“So… Do you look at my body often?”
The British woman stuttered. “W-what?” Andy’s hand was holding her waist, which made it hard to form a thought, let alone a whole sentence. “B-bloody hell, Andrea. You scared me. I thought I was going to end up tied up in the back of a van.”
“An issue with being tied up?” The redhead’s mind filled up with images of what a night alone with Andy would look like. She could feel her cheeks starting to blush, she had to change the subject, and fast.
“Where did you get that confidence? It’s frankly disturbing. I want shy Andy back.”
“Aw, you want me.”
Emily felt weird. She had never felt like that, and especially not with a girl. It was like she was watching a beautiful romcom that made you giggle and kick your feet, except she was the one playing in it. At least it made the relationship look more real!
Emily went home that night and laid eyes wide open in her bed, wondering what was happening. She had music on, love songs mainly, and they were speaking to her more than usual. “It hits different this time.” The singer was right. But maybe it was normal. Their little scheme had been on her mind all day, so she was probably just thinking about it because it was fresh news. Questions were also piling up. Why had she never felt that way with a man? She had exes, and she loved them, of course, but those relationships had never felt as exciting. “It hits different ‘cause it’s you.” Emily fell asleep after that line, as if it had knocked out her analysis of the situation. And just like in the song, she dreamed of Andy’s hair, stare, and sense of belief, which she had always admired.
A week later, the two girls decided to have dinner together in a restaurant, after bringing their boss the book.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m telling you this. I don’t think anyone knows, I hadn’t even told Nate when we were dating.” It was the end of the evening, and they had been talking all dinner about their personal lives. It was the first time they were sharing more than what their coworking required. And both women had a warm comforting feeling in their hearts, hoping the night would never end.
“Well, cheers to telling all your secrets to your fake girlfriend!” Emily answered, raising her glass of wine, and reminding herself and her coworker that their love was supposed to be fake.
One day, they prepared a little performance for Andy’s stalker. He had stopped harassing Andy via text, but he was still staring at her when he saw her, which made her uncomfortable. She thought that giving him a reminder that she was taken could work in her favor.
“Okay, so we’ll walk by Ross’s office. Remember we have to look like it’s the honeymoon phase.” Andrea was telling her fake girlfriend about the plan, and like the perfectionist she was, Emily was taking notes.
“How do you want me to do that exactly? Should we aggressively make out against the window?”
“Em. Be serious. Obviously not! I feel like he’s the kind of guy who likes it… Gross! Just… Be affectionate in a cute way!”
“I can do that. Anything else?” She asked, tracing another bullet point on her paper.
“Look like you’re in love.”
“As if it was hard,” Emily thought to herself before shaking off the idea. They were done with the planning, now they had to act. “Let’s go.”
As they were passing by, Andrea noticed Ross looking over at them. “Do something!” She ordered in a whisper. She felt Emily grab her hand and entangle their fingers. The adrenaline rush in her stomach was back, stronger than the first time.
“I don’t think he can see that, it’s useless!” She complained while secretly enjoying it.
“Shut up, and follow my movements,” the redhead muttered before raising her coworker’s hand to her lips and giving it a soft kiss. She had her eyes locked on Andy’s, which was making the brunette feel a little faint.
“What a gentlewoman! Your lips feel very nice,” Andy replied, as if her skin was not burning because of their touch.
“Would you like me to kiss something else, darling?” Emily said, purposefully loud so other people would hear.
Andy did not answer, but her mind and heart were racing. How did that British woman have so much effect over her! As her thoughts were getting lost in lust and desire, she realized Emily’s hand was still holding hers, even though no more colleagues were there to see it.
“Let’s go on a date!” Andrea barged in the office while Emily was getting ready to leave.
“Um… Andrea, the room is empty, we don’t have to act right now.” The redhead was looking at her, confused.
“I know, but I’m thinking of our social media pages. We have no pictures together except at the office or when we eat together… People might think this is weird!” Andy had brought her hands together, as if she was pleading Emily to agree. She was also pouting, which amusingly made her look like a puppy, with her beautiful brown eyes. Emily wouldn’t be able to resist, and she knew it.
“Alright, anything in mind?”
“Always! There’s a meteor shower tonight. I would love to see shooting stars! Let’s drive out of the city together, it would be really romantic too.” And as if she was trying to match the sky, Andy’s eyes were sparkling.
Emily sighed. “The things you make me do…”
As they were driving, Andy decided to be the DJ. She put on a playlist of her favorite songs, and started singing along. She couldn’t help but notice Emily’s smile as she was teasing her with some lyrics about buying a dress only for it to be taken off. “Stop it,” the redhead mouthed, with no ounce of credibility. Andy then took pictures of her driving in the sunset and posted them to “Daylight” by Taylor Swift, because this relationship, as fake as it was, felt golden.
When they reached their destination, they laid down in a field and started staring at the night sky. They weren’t used to seeing it so dark, as both always lived in cities. Slowly, stars started appearing, one by one, as their eyes got used to the lack of light.
“Em, look!” The first shooting star had finally appeared. “Make a wish!”
“What are you wishing for? Ross being fired?”
“Well actually, I just saw on Instagram that he was moving to Orlando.” Andy confessed, with a disappointed tone.
Emily froze. Did that mean…
“So what do you want to do about the relationship?” She asked, scared of the answer.
“I think it would make sense to break up in a few days, to make sure he’s gone.”
“I guess so.”
In the dark of the night, the two women couldn’t see each other’s cheeks being flooded with tears. Another shooting star streaked across the sky. Quietly and unknowingly, a common wish had been placed; to be able to fall in love in another universe.
20 years later, after the two women became friends again…
The new duo was sitting on Andy’s couch. She had invited Emily to her house to watch How to lose a guy in 10 days together, and the bottle of white wine on the table was empty. The movie had just ended, and a loud tension had replaced the song of the end credits.
“Do you remember when we pretended to be dating to scare that creepy colleague away?” Andy asked her fake ex.
“I do. Gosh, he was horrible. But you were a great fake girlfriend!” Emily let out, before regretting her honesty.
“Oh really, was I? Tell me more…” Andy was grinning, happy to see that the feeling was reciprocated. She got closer to Emily and put her hand on the redhead’s lap.
“You were sweet, as you always are, and your flirting was on point.” Emily locked her eyes on Andy’s, and didn’t know if the wine was letting the words out, or if it was her desire acting up.
“Oh yeah? So maybe we should start again then?” She asked with a lower voice, staring intensely at Emily’s lips, as if it would help her read better what she would answer.
“Andrea, we’re not 20 anymore… We can’t…” Yet, her body language made it seem like it. Their faces were close. She hadn’t needed someone’s body this much for years, maybe 20.
“Why? Are you scared you’ll fall in love?” She asked, with a devilish smile, before closing the gap between them, and finally kissing the woman she had been wanting all this time.