‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

CARROUSEL DU LOUVRE
paris, france
friday
june 21, 2024
9:50am

i sat next to alexa at the show yet again. this time a good friend of mine and previous coworker, josh o'conner, sat to my other side.

"do you think he's here?" i asked alexa as i scanned the seats in hopes of seeing drew.

alexa chuckled, noticing my eagerness. "girl, are you serious? you've been looking around for him like every 10 seconds." she teased, giving me a playful nudge. "he's right there." she said as she discreetly gestured to drew who was walking in with a curly haired girl.

my heart skipped a beat when i saw drew walk in with another girl, a pang of disappointment hitting me. "is that odessa a'zion?" i asked quietly, as i recognized the girl he was with.

"looks like it." she said with a knowing smile. "don't worry though, he seems to be spending most of his time looking over at you." she whispered as she discreetly eyed drew and odessa who sat down a few seats away from us.

my heart skipped another beat as alexa mentioned drew looking in my direction. i tried to appear casual, but inside i was swirling with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. "really?" i whispered back, trying to feign indifference.

alexa chuckled softly at my attempt at nonchalance. "oh yeah," she confirmed, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "he keeps stealing glances your way. i think you've caught his attention more than odessa over there."

i tried to act calm, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide my own interest. i snuck a glance in drew's direction and sure enough, his eyes met mine for a brief moment before he looked away quickly, pretending to concentrate on his phone.

alexa noticed the exchange and let out a soft laugh. "see, told you." she whispered, nudging me playfully. "he's not exactly being subtle about it."

"i never could find out are him and odessa together?" i asked her quietly.

alexa shrugged slightly, her eyes flickering across the room to where drew and odessa were sitting. "i'm not sure. they seem pretty close though." she noted, observing their interactions. "but based on how he's checking you out, i'm guessing they're just friends."

the lights dimmed and the fashion show began. models of various genders strut walked down the catwalk, showcasing the designer's latest collection. i tried to focus on the show, but i found myself stealing glances at drew from time to time.

as we continued watching the fashion show, one outfit after another captured my attention. a mixture of colorful skirts, elegant dresses, chic suits, and stylish accessories graced the runway, each piece perfectly embodying the designer's vision.

alexa and i occasionally discussed the pieces, sharing our opinions on the various styles. however, i couldn't help but let my attention drift back to drew and odessa who sat a few seats away from us.

the fashion show eventually came to an end, and applause filled the room as the models took their final bows on the runway. people began getting up from their seats, chatting amongst themselves and preparing to leave.

"you know amo wasn't on the stage." i pointed out.

alexa nodded in agreement, "yeah, he wasn't. that's really weird." she said, her brows furrowing in confusion.

i felt a sense of unease, wondering why amo wouldn't have walked on stage like the other models.

josh cleared his throat, "i heard two things...one being that amo wilson got exiled from performing the rest of the week and the other was that he left voluntarily." he shrugged before getting up.

my eyes widened at josh's revelation. "exiled from performing?" i echoed, dumbfounded by the news.

alexa leaned forward, her interest piqued. "wait, why was he exiled?"

josh shrugged, his shoulders rising and falling nonchalantly. "i don't know all the details, but apparently him and the designer got into a huge argument while backstage." he explained, a look of intrigue on his face.

"weird." i said before looking up just to see drew standing infront of me. "drew, hey."

i looked up and saw drew standing in front of us, a casual smile on his face. "hey," he responded, his gaze flicking between me and alexa. "great show, right?"

"one minute you hate runway shows and the next you're saying it's a great show." i said with a nod, "you're hard to understand." my voice playful.

drew chuckled at my playful jab, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "guilty as charged." he replied with a smirk. "what can i say, i'm a man of many opinions and even more contradictions."

alexa, being the nosy person she is, decided to chime in. she raised an eyebrow playfully and smirked at him. "so which opinion is it right now? you hate runway shows, or you love them?"

drew chuckled again, "i'm starting to love them actually." he retorted with a sly grin.

alexa snickered softly, clearly enjoying this playful banter. "oh, really?" she said, leaning forward in her seat. "and what changed your mind?"

drew shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze flicking to me before looking back at alexa. "well, the company isn't too shabby." he replied with a hint of charm in his voice.

i nodded as i looked at odessa discreetly who was sitting where drew had left her. i stood up wand put my trench coat back on.

drew noticed me putting my coat on and immediately offered to help me. he stepped closer, his hand reaching out to take the coat from me.

"here, let me." he said, gently taking the coat and holding it out for me to slide my arms into. i felt a flutter in my stomach at his gesture, a simple act yet somehow making me feel warm inside. as i put on the coat, i couldn't help but notice odessa watching us from a few paces away.

alexa caught my fleeting glance at odessa and smirked slightly, clearly picking up on my thoughts.

drew, oblivious to odessa watching us, adjusted the coat on my shoulders, his fingers brushing against my skin for a split second. this simple touch sent a shiver down my spine.

"there you go," he said, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "all set."

alexa, unable to contain herself, let out a soft snicker, clearly enjoying the scene unfolding in front of her.

i shot alexa a quick glance, silently pleading with her to stop enjoying herself so much. meanwhile, drew looked at alexa curiously, clearly wondering what was so amusing.

alexa plastered an innocent smile on her face and spoke up, "oh, it's nothing, don't worry."

"thanks, drew." i said gesturing towards the coat he had just helped me put on.

"no problem," he replied, his gaze lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary before he finally looked away.

odessa, now standing behind drew, loudly cleared her throat, breaking the spell between the two of us. drew turned around and gave her a sheepish smile, clearly caught. "oh, right." he said, turning back to me as if he suddenly remembered something important. "listen, a group of us are having a small dinner later on tonight. wanna come?"

my heart skipped a beat at his invitation. i glanced over at alexa, who was trying to hold back a sly grin. i turned back to drew and smiled.

"sure, i'm down. is there room for a plus one?" i said hinting that i want to invite alexa.

drew nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "yeah, of course. bring alexa, the more the merrier."

alexa, who was listening intently, chimed in. "oh, i'm absolutely coming."

"i'm azaria." i said to the curly haired actress who stood right beside drew.

the actress smiled warmly at me, her curly hair framing her face like a golden halo. "hi, azaria. i'm odessa." she said before offering her hand.

drew stood between the two of us, his eyes flicking between us as we introduced ourselves.

odessa's grip was surprisingly firm as she shook my hand. her eyes flickered briefly to my side where alexa stood, clearly taking in her appearance.

alexa, with her usual confidence, extended her hand as well and shook odessa's hand firmly. "alexa demie." she said in her usual confident tone.

odessa smiled politely at alexa, her gaze lingering on her for a moment before returning her attention to me.

"it's nice to meet you both." she replied, her voice sweet and polite.

"likewise," alexa chimed in, flashing a charming smile. "i've seen your work, you're a great actress."

odessa looked slightly taken aback by the compliment, her cheeks blushing faintly. "oh, thank you. that's really kind of you to say." she replied, her voice quiet and bashful. "you guys are both phenomenal actresses! drew and i saw you two on euphoria. drew, you remember that? when you came over and we got super drunk and watched euphoria?" odessa said with a big smile.

drew chuckled softly at odessa's comment. "yeah, i remember that night. we definitely had quite a time, didn't we?"

alexa's eyes glittered as she picked up on the exchange between odessa and drew, noticing the subtle dynamics between them.

odessa nodded, "oh, definitely. we were completely wasted." she said with a soft laugh.

alexa watched the two of them interact with astute interest, taking in their body language and interaction.

drew chuckled again, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners. "yeah, we were pretty sloshed."

alexa remained quiet, her gaze flitting between drew and odessa, trying to gauge their relationship dynamic.

odessa playfully nudged drew with her elbow. "and we might've said some stupid stuff?" she added with a laugh.

drew grinned at her, "oh yeah, we definitely said some stupid stuff."

"hopefully not about our acting skills..." i said jokingly as i pointed to myself and alexa.

odessa chuckled softly, shaking her head. "no, no, nothing like that." she assured me, her eyes glinting with amusement.

drew chuckled too, "yeah, it was nothing like that. just our usual drunk ramblings."

"usual? what are two, drinking buddies?" alexa asked bluntly but it seemed odessa took it as a joke.

odessa laughed at alexa's question, clearly unbothered by her bluntness. "we do like to have a drink together once in a while." she said, her tone light and playful.

drew chuckled lightly, his eyes flickering from odessa to alexa, "yeah, every now and then we like to kick back and relax."

"well, alexa and i are gonna go kick back and relax, so we'll see you guys tonight?" i said with a tight smile.

drew nodded, "yeah, absolutely."

drew nodded, "yeah, absolutely."

odessa smiled at us. "great, can't wait to catch up later." as alexa and i started to quickly walk off odessa yelled, "casa bini! 8pm sharp!"

without looking back, alexa and i both held up a thumbs up as we rushed out.

~~

INSTAGRAM
parisfashionweek

liked by 234,987 others
parisfashionweek some people at today's PFW show. recognize anyone?

view all 9,929 comments

user1 sab 🥹

user2 alexa! azaria!

user3 is that drew starkey and odessa?

user4 zendaya omg my wife

~~

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

RITZ PARIS HOTEL
paris, france
11:20am

"they have to be hooking up," i said referring to drew and odessa as i took off my heels.

alexa kicked off her heeled sandals too, flopping onto the hotel bed with a sigh. "i don't know..i think so too," she said as sprawled out on the bed. "they had a certain chemistry, but also seemed more platonic. like friends who occasionally flirt?"

her eyes followed me as i walked over to my suitcase and unzipped it. "i think there's more going on between them than just friends," i replied, rummaging through my clothes.

alexa shifted on the bed, propping herself up on her elbows. "yeah, there's definitely something going on. did you see the way she was eyeing you?" she said jokingly, her lips twitching into a smirk. "she was clearly threatened by you."

i chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. "oh please," i said dismissively. "odessa is stunning. she has no reason to feel threatened by me."

alexa raised an eyebrow at me, "girl, don't sell yourself short. you're gorgeous." she said, rolling onto her stomach playfully. "besides, i think she knows you've got a thing for drew."

"okay i don't even know if i have a thing for drew, i just got done with amo, remember?" i said with a sigh.

alexa snickered and gave me a knowing look. "oh, please. you totally have a thing for him. don't pretend like i don't notice the way you look at him." she playfully nudged my arm. "and come on, can you blame yourself? the man is a walking piece of eye candy." i shrugged. before alexa continued, "also what the hell was all that about amo and the designer getting into an argument?" she continued.

i shook my head thoughtfully, still trying to process what josh had told us. "i honestly don't know." i admitted. "but whatever it was, it must've been serious for amo to be completely exiled from the rest of fashion week."

alexa pursed her lips, her expression becoming serious. "yeah, it's really weird. especially so close to the end of fashion week. i wonder what he did." she said, drumming her fingers against the bedspread.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

7:50pm

"shit!" i exclaimed from the floor as i practically tore my suitcase apart.

alexa, perched on the edge of the bed, looked down at me with a bemused expression. "what are you doing?" she asked, her voice laced with humor as she was fully dressed and ready to go.

"my jimmy choo heels!" i called out.

alexa raised an eyebrow as she watched me rummaging through my suitcase. "what about them?" she asked, clearly enjoying the sight of me frantically searching.

"i can't find them!" i replied, frustration evident in my voice as i continued to dig through my luggage. "i know i put them in here when we left la, but now they're nowhere to be found." panick started to bubble up inside me.

"you think you left them in amo's room...you know from when you were staying there?" she asked.

i looked up at her with wide eyes, realization dawning on me. "oh my god, you're right." i said quickly standing up. "i left my heels in amo's room. crap."

alexa watched me scramble to my feet, a sympathetic expression on her face. "that's not good, bae." she said, her voice filled with concern. "that could be awkward as hell to explain."

i groaned in frustration, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "i know, i know!" i exclaimed. "this is the last thing i need right now. and to make things worse, we're already running late."

"cmon, let's just go ask him...that is if he's even still here." she said as she opened her hotel room door.

i sighed and followed her out the door. "yeah, i guess we have no other choice." i said, my anxiety starting to build. "hopefully he's still in his room and hasn't left yet."

we hurried to amo's suite, as we reached his door, i took a deep breath before knocking lightly. "here goes nothing." i muttered under my breath. we waited in anxious silence, but there was no answer. i knocked again slightly louder, but still no response. i looked at alexa, disappointment etched on our faces. "he's not answering." i said, feeling defeated.

as i started to walk away, alexa held me in place and put her ear to the door before pounding on the door. "i hear you!" she yelled.

i winced at the sudden pounding on the door, feeling a mixture of irritation and guilt at our actions. suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a very irritated and tired-looking amo standing in the doorway.

"what the hell you guys banging on my door for?" he asked, his expression a mix of annoyance and confusion.

"i need my jimmy choo shoes." i said.

amo's eyes flicked between us, his irritation slowly fading as he processed my words. "your shoes?" he repeated, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"yeah," i confirmed, feeling slightly embarrassed having to ask him this. "i left my heels in your room when i packed up all my stuff. i need them for tonight."

amo's expression softened as he realized why we were here. "oh, right." he said, running a hand through his messy hair. "i remember seeing them. i think they're still in the bedroom."

relief washed over me, glad that the shoes were still here. "can i go grab them?" i asked, hoping he wouldn't object.

amo stepped aside, gesturing for us to come in. "yeah, go ahead." he said, his voice less gruff than before.

"why weren't you on the runway today?" alexa asked him bluntly as i looked around the bedroom for my shoes.

amo huffed, clearly not a fan of alexa's blunt question. "because i got kicked from fashion week." he replied, his voice tinged with irritation.

i paused my search for a moment, looking up at him in surprise. i had heard rumors of his exile, but hearing it come straight from his mouth added a new sense of reality to the situation.

"why?" alexa pushed further, not satisfied with his vague answer.

amo let out a deep sigh, "zari! find those shoes yet?" he yelled out, avoiding alexa's question. hearing him say that nickname definitely stung.

"not yet!" i yelled back as i kept looking.

alexa rolled her eyes at his attempt to change the topic, undeterred by his tactic. "i'm not letting you off the hook that easily. why were you exiled from fashion week?"

amo shot her a sidelong glare, clearly annoyed by her persistence. "it's none of your damn business." he retorted, his voice curt.

i walked back over to them, now wearing the shoes i was so adamant on finding.

amo's gaze shifted away from alexa and over to me. a mix of relief and discomfort washed over him. "found them?" he asked, his tone a bit softer now.

i nodded, lifting up my foot to showcase the shoe. "yeah, they were tucked away in the corner."

amo forced a smile, clearly trying to hide his discomfort. "glad you found them." he said awkwardly before gesturing towards the front door. "well, you two better get going."

i could sense the tension in the air but decided it best to end the interaction before it got any more awkward. "okay, we'll get going." i said before giving him a tight-lipped smile.

"yeah, bye." alexa added as we made our way to the front door.

amo gave us a forced smile and shut the door as soon as we stepped out into the hallway.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

CASA BINI
paris, france
8:30pm

"we're late." i said as i walked into the italian restaurant. "odessa said '8pm, sharp.' god, if she didn't hate me enough." i started to ramble.

"calm down." alexa said, following close behind me. "it's barely even 8:30, we're not 'late,' we're fashionably late." she teased.

i rolled my eyes but couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "oh yeah, i'm sure she'll totally appreciate that." i sarcastically as the hostess came up to us.

the hostess smiled politely. "table for two?" she asked in a thick french accent.

"no, we're meeting some friends," alexa replied.

the hostess nodded and motioned us to follow her as she weaved through the busy restaurant towards a round booth tucked away towards the back.

as we followed her, my heart quickened a bit, noticing the group of people sitting in the booth including odessa, drew, madelyn, zendaya, mike faist, timothée chalamet and a few other recognizable models. i raised my eyebrows as i noticed my ex, timothée. we dated for about a year after working together on bones and all but we ended up breaking up just because of how busy we were.

"timothée?" i said as i walked over.

his eyes widened in surprise as he spotted me walking towards the table, a mixture of surprise and nostalgia visible in his expression. "azaria..." he said, his voice low as he stood up to greet me.

"i didn't know you were at fashion week." i said as i opened my arms for a hug.

he hugged me tightly, his familiar scent bringing back fond memories. "i could say the same about you." he replied with a smile as we pulled away. "haven't seen you in a hot minute."

i chuckled softly, "yeah, it's been awhile." i agreed, a wave of nostalgia washing over me. behind me, i could feel alexa's gaze on us, sensing her watching the interaction intently. i cleared my throat and looked at everyone who was watching timothée and i. "sorry alexa and i are late we got held up with something." i apologized before sitting in the booth in between drew and alexa. odessa sat directly across from me.

"we were starting to think you weren't coming," odessa said bluntly as she took a sip of wine. her tone was light but the coolness in her eyes was evident as she looked me up and down.

i forced a tight-lipped smile and shrugged. "traffic was terrible." i lied, feeling the familiar tension between me and odessa.

alexa gave a dismissive wave. "yeah, paris traffic is insane." she chimed in, catching onto the undercurrent of tension.

odessa's eyes flicked to alexa, her cool demeanor still in place. "that's why it's best to get places extra early." she said, her tone dripping with a hint of condescension.

"oh, sure. next time we'll just teleport then." alexa quipped sarcastically, making me let out a small snort of laughter.

mike snickered from across the table. "good one." he said, clearly amused by alexa's quick wit. drew laughed quietly from beside me.

odessa pursed her lips, not appreciating the snark. "humor isn't always appreciated in the fashion world." she said pointedly, her eyes narrowing as she looked between me and alexa. zendaya let out a small sigh, clearly sensing the subtle shade.

"good thing we're out to dinner and not at the runway show," i said as i scanned the menu.

odessa didn't respond, her jaw tightening at my jab. the table fell silent for a moment as everyone looked awkwardly at their menus, trying to avoid the tension palpable in the air.

"so..." timothée suddenly spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

i smiled at timothée before looking at my phone from under the table, alexa was texting me.

~~

MESSAGES

alexa

alexa
is it just me or is odessa
being so bitchy?

azaria
i'm picking up on it,
and i think everyone else
is too. i'm not even hungry
anymore 😭😭

alexa
i know...this is lowkey
awkward as hell

azaria
should we bail?

alexa
yes. please.

~~

i looked up at everyone distracted with their conversations. there was no better time and i nodded back at her. i slipped my phone into my purse. i quietly tapped drew's shoulder, leaning close to him. he turned towards me, looking at me with questioning eyes.

"drew," i whispered, keeping my voice low so only he could hear me. "i'm not feeling too well. i'm gonna head out."

concern filled his eyes. "are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. he shifted closer to me, trying to keep the conversation between us.

i forced a small smile, trying to downplay my discomfort. "yeah, i'm just not feeling great." i replied, keeping my voice soft but clear. "i think i need to go back to the hotel."

drew looked at me for a moment longer, clearly wanting to question me more but he ultimately nodded in understanding. "okay, hold on. i'll walk you out." he said, ready to get up.

touched by his offer, i reached out and placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. "no, it's okay." i whispered. "i don't want to interrupt your time with everyone."

he hesitated for a moment, searching my eyes for reassurance. i nodded, silently reassuring him i would be fine.

"you sure?" he asked, clearly not wanting me to go. i could sense his worry, but i nodded again.

"yeah, i'm sure." i replied, forcing a small smile. "just tell everyone i had a sudden headache and needed to leave."

"what's her excuse?" he said as he looked at alexa who was already standing.

i chuckled softly. "oh c'mon, i don't go anywhere without her," i informed him.

he nodded, still looking a bit unsure but respecting my wishes. "okay," he said finally. "feel better." he squeezed my arm gently, his touch lingering for a moment before letting go.

"thanks." i smiled. "enjoy the rest of your night." my eyes flicked over to alexa who was standing at the end of the table.

together alexa and i walked out of the restaurant hand and hand. alexa let out a long exhale as we stepped outside. the cool night air felt refreshing against our skin. we paused and looked at each other for a moment, relieved to be out of the tense atmosphere.

"what now?" i asked her as i stood on the sidewalk.

alexa shrugged, still looking relieved to be away from the situation. "we're in paris." she said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "why are we asking what to do next? let's just have fun."

the city lights blurred as we moved from one club to another. the upbeat music and vibrant nightlife of paris were infectious. we danced to the rhythm of edm beats, sipped on colorful cocktails, and moved through the different hotspots of the city.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

RITZ PARIS HOTEL
paris, france
12am

the room spun as we stumbled in, laughter still ringing in our ears from the last club. we collapsed on the bed, the events of the night catching up with us. we were both tipsy, our movements clumsy as we tried to find a comfortable position on the bed.