A/N: just seeing where this goes!
She sipped on a black coffee and answered the morning emails. Outiside, Queens was seeing the most rain on record in years. Java Bean had been part of Alex's morning commute for a while now. Alex was pretty much all business once she left her penthouse apartment in the mornings; rarely did she take this time to people watch, flip leisurely through the classifieds section of the newspaper, or sip mindlessly at her brew. She had far too much money to make. Alex organizes and facilitates the largest underground poker group in the city. She spends hours in the morning settling bets, chasing down reneges, and finding inconspicuous locations for events. Her day job as a software consultant is far less exciting so she milks her side job for all it is worth. Alex was used to excitement, she thrived off of it.
Though she didn't have time for people watching, she couldn't help but notice the woman entering the cornerstone coffee shop. She certainly was not a regular, Alex couldn't forget a face like hers. Alex looked up from her laptop just enough to inconspicuously watch the woman struggle with the door that was putting up a fight with the wind and rain outside. She had blonde hair, legs for miles, thin but toned and Alex soon forgot where she was and how much money she would be collecting today. The woman was drenched from head to toe and held an umbrella in her left hand, which had obviously malfunctioned, and her belongings on her right. As she stepped up to the counter, Alex became aroused at the thought of hearing what this beautiful woman's voice sounded like.
The barista turned to face her, shocked when he saw how soaked she was, "what can I get for... hey now - aren't umbrellas supposed to keep out the wet?!"
"Yeah, well, don't find fault, find a remedy." Damn, this girl was witty. "Henry Ford?" Piper clarified as the guy behind the bar obviously didn't get it, "Be part of the solution? Never mind, how about an iced Chai Latte?"
Alex couldn't help but notice that she didn't have a ring on her finger, how could she not look - this had to be the prettiest person in New York. "NO, actually make that hot," Piper corrected her order. "No, no iced. Definitely iced." Alex chuckled to herself, and found the indecisiveness attractive. Alex like to prey on indecision, she was a control freak. That is why she liked being a bookie.
The woman dug through her Michael Kors for her wallet and paid the barista. Her long locks cascaded down her cheeks as she responded to a text message and she seemed oblivious to shuffling and chatter around her. As dressed up as she was, though she was dripping from the rain, she likely had brunches, museum visits, and DAR meetings scheduled for the rest of the day. Alex could smell WASP from a mile away. That didn't do anything though to stop the figurative waterfall of excitement Alex got from looking at this 'proper' young lady. She had to know more. She had to make a move.
Alex hid her face in her laptop and sat back in her chair as the lady collected her drink and turned towards the exit, still focused on her phone. Not paying attention, as made her way to the front door she neglected to see or accommodate for the wet floor or "caution" sign. All at once she screamed, threw her bag back, and her feet came out from under. Alex, watching intently from start to finish, had just enough time to lunge out of her chair and cross the 4 feet of distance to outstretch her arms and catch the blonde as she made her way to the ground. Alex was surprised at her movie-quality high speed reflexes, but not as surprised as she was when she found herself face-to-face and eye-to-eye with the most gorgeous woman she has ever seen. She didn't have a moment to bask in her heroic glory for too long because moments after the pair caught their breath, they realized that Alex was now sporting the Fall line of ice Chai latte all over her lap courtesy of fate.
Still in Alex's strong forearms and nervously unsure of what to do, Piper started to ramble. "Oh my gosh, I am so so so terribly sorry. Please let me pay for dry cleaning. I wasn't paying attention, if only you knew the day I've had already. I just wanted some caffeine and now I'm rambling and making a complete fool of myself and I... I'm Piper." Alex was further compelled by Piper's newfound nervousness which she didn't exhibit moments ago when bantering with the barista, "and you are??".
Alex lifted her legs and the blonde with her and smirked, "and I'm... sure glad you went with the iced latte."