Author's Note: I did not include a summary of the story for fear of revealing too much in chapter one. As always, this story is complete and I'll post a chapter every day or every couple of days. Hope you enjoy this story!
Graduate school had always been in the cards for her, but she never thought it would be in Education. Piper Chapman hadn't considered teaching until her junior year at Smith when she reluctantly admitted that her parents were right: making a living as a writer was an implausible dream. One of her professors had convinced Piper to give student teaching a shot, and she discovered that it wasn't all that bad. If she decided to be a teacher, she'd have summers and weekends off, plus she'd benefit from long winter and spring breaks when she could write until her heart was content. What Piper didn't expect was having to teach at the high school level the Fall after graduating from Smith.
Although she'd been accepted at both NYU and the University of New England for grad school, Piper chose the latter. After spending four years in Northampton, she'd grown accustomed to life in a rural town, and she worried that if she went to NYU to pursue her studies, the bright lights and constant action in Manhattan would distract her.
Piper was in no rush to finish her Master's degree—she was content to complete the coursework in a year and a half, because she wanted to test the waters a bit more in the classroom. She applied for a part-time job as a third grade teacher; however, she found out in late July that the school hired someone with more classroom experience. The unfortunate news bothered Piper more than she thought it might, and she discovered that she genuinely wanted to teach sooner rather than later, so she scrambled to find another teaching job near the university. As luck would have it, the local private high school had an opening for a part-time Humanities teacher.
Piper had spent many summers in coastal Maine as a child, visiting her grandmother and attending summer camp during her formative years. Her father hadn't sold the home he grew up in, making it the perfect option for Piper to live while she worked on her Master's and taught at Newton School. The house was built in the early 1900s, and the creaking and settling sounds it often made frightened Piper those first couple of weeks. It was a large and drafty house, too, which took some getting used to, especially on windy nights. Nevertheless, Piper had fond memories of her time with her grandmother in that house, and she allowed those happy memories to comfort her in times of distress.
Since sophomore year in college, Piper realized that she worked best in a lively environment. Unlike some of her classmates who needed total silence to study, Piper needed ambient sounds to keep her focused. She'd set out a week ago to find the ideal coffee shop in the small town of Biddeford, but until arriving at The Muddy Cup, Piper had struck out.
"What can I get you?" A dark haired girl turned a dial on the La Marzocco, causing it to release a burst of steam.
"Drip coffee, please." Piper reached for her wallet.
The barista wiped a silver valve with a rag, and then turned her attention to Piper. "Anything to eat?" The girl was striking—long, jet black hair that matched the rim of her glasses, thick lips and broad shoulders. Piper wondered if she was a student at the university.
She peered into a two-tiered glass case. "Are those scones baked here?"
The barista glanced up briefly, and then tapped a few buttons on the register. "Yeah."
"I'll try the blueberry one."
"Anything else?"
She pulled out a $10 bill and slid it along the wooden countertop. "No, thanks."
"That'll be $5.50" The girl pulled a scone out of the display case with a pair of tongs. "Is this for here or to go?"
"Here, please."
"They're better when they're warm." The barista placed the scone on a yellow plate. "Microwave's over there next to the cream and sugar."
"Ok, thanks."
The barista poured the drip coffee into a ceramic mug. "Enjoy."
"Thank you." She tried balancing the plate on her arm and taking the coffee mug in the other hand, but Piper hadn't put her wallet back into her bag, making the task almost impossible. "Would you mind…?"
The girl grinned, and then scooted around the counter, standing in front of a small table. "Is this ok?"
Piper placed the mug on the table. "Perfect."
"Refills are free, so…" She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Just wave if you want more."
Piper sat down, smile creeping onto her face as she eyed the barista. "I'll be here for a while, so I'll take you up on a refill."
The girl stepped behind the counter and took an older man's complicated order.
Although graduate school wouldn't begin for a couple of weeks, Piper had already purchased the textbooks for both of her classes. She'd always performed best when she pursued scholarly books prior to her first lesson, and knowing grad school would be even more difficult than her undergraduate experience, she wanted to get a head start on the reading. She pulled out one of the thick textbooks and a legal pad, and alternated between nibbling on the scone and drinking the Ethiopian blend.
The reading for her first grad school class, Individual and Societal Development, was dense to say the least. (She was hoping the material would get more entertaining as she reached upper-level coursework.) After reading two chapters, Piper decided she'd take a break from grad school stuff and focus on the syllabi that she needed to create for the Humanities courses she'd teach at the high school. She reached into her bag and pulled out three paperbacks.
"More coffee?" The barista appeared next to the table with a coffee pot in hand.
She appeared to be in her early 20s, and her skin, Piper noted, was flawless. Despite it being late August when most young women sported tans or sunburns, the barista's cheeks were only the slightest shade of pink, probably more from the steam from the espresso machine than the sun.
Piper took the last sip of coffee, and then set her mug down. "Sure, thanks."
"I haven't seen you in here before," the dark haired girl commented. "New in town?"
"I'm starting grad school at the University of New England in a couple weeks." Piper wiped crumbs onto the yellow plate. "I spent summers here when I was younger, but I don't remember this coffee shop."
"It's been open for four or five years—used to be an insurance agency or something." The barista filled the mug to the brim, then twisted her head to read the cover of one of the paperbacks on the table. "That's a good one."
"Which one?" Piper held up two of the novels. "A High Wind in Jamaica or Native Son?"
"Native Son, but A High Wind in Jamaica wasn't bad." She glanced at the other books. "Those seem a little basic for grad school."
"They would be." Piper let out a soft chuckle and put the books down. "I'm teaching part-time."
"Ah. What grade?"
"Two sections of seniors and one of sophomores." She took a sip of coffee.
The barista placed her fingertips on the third novel, turning it to read the title. "I hope every kid has read The Lord of the Flies by the time they've reached puberty."
"Too rudimentary?"
"Probably." The girl shrugged. "Then again, most high school students spend more time playing video games and Snap Chatting than reading."
"That's what I'm afraid of," she sighed.
A group of teenagers walked in, and the barista gave Piper a knowing look and a slight eye-roll. "Duty calls." She walked back behind the counter, leaving Piper intrigued by her interest in literature.
Over the next week, Piper returned to The Muddy Cup every morning, hoping to converse with the attractive barista. The second time she ventured inside, the dark haired girl wasn't there, but the third time, Piper was pleasantly surprised to see her with her nose in a book behind the counter.
"Hi."
The barista looked up and grinned. "Hey, you're back."
She glanced around the well-lit coffee shop. "This is a comfortable place to work, and I like not supporting corporate America."
"I was never a Starbucks fan myself." The barista reached for a mug. "Drip coffee, right?"
"Yeah, thanks." Piper tapped her fingertips on the counter as she watched the girl move with efficiency.
"I'll make a fresh pot in a minute." She poured the last of the dark liquid into the cup, and then filled the vessel with water. "How's the syllabus coming along?"
"Not bad, but I should've probably finished it already, considering school starts on Monday." Piper placed $5 on the counter.
"Here's hoping today's the day." She handed her $3.50 back. "No scone today?"
She shook her head and leaned closer. "It wasn't very fresh."
"Sorry to hear that." The barista licked her lips, seemingly trying to avoid a smile as she said conspiratorially, "They're not really baked here."
"I figured as much." She stretched out a hand. "I'm Piper, by the way."
"Nice to meet you," the barista wiped her hands on her apron, and then shook her hand. "Alex."
"You, too." Piper walked to the same table she'd sat at each time she went to The Muddy Cup and tried concentrating on the syllabus, but it was difficult to stay focused as she watched Alex buzz around the small space. She had on a green t-shirt that hung off one shoulder, and Piper was drawn to her creamy, exposed skin.
Alex seemed mildly annoyed by the customers who came in with their double-shot, non-fat soy latte orders, but when no one was waiting for a drink or a baked good, she had her nose buried in Persepolis.
"What happened to the great customer service I experienced last time?"
"Sorry," Alex raised her eyes. "More coffee?"
She pushed her mug towards the barista. "What do you think of that book for seniors?"
"Persepolis?"
Piper nodded.
"It's good." She pushed the paperback aside. "You're a lit teacher?"
"Humanities, actually." Piper grabbed the cup, their fingers briefly touching. "In case you haven't guessed, this will be my first year as a teacher."
"I never would've known." Alex smirked and put her hands in her back pockets. "Persepolis would probably be a good choice since it combines history, geography and literature."
"I'll consider it." She smiled. "Are you in college?"
"Me? No." Alex released a short chuckle. "I just read a lot."
Piper returned to her table and wondered about Alex's life. Did her parents own the coffee shop? Did she drop out of college? Had she even gone to college? Although she hadn't confirmed Alex's sexual preference at that point, she had an inkling that she was gay just by the way she moved.
Piper had been with her fair share of girls and guys over the course of her life, but during her last two years at Smith, she'd become primarily attracted to girls. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate a man's body; it was that girls were soft and smooth in all the right places. Their tongues were more talented, their faces didn't have prickly whiskers, and their hands were gentler. The way women had sex was far more intimate than being penetrated by a penis. Not that she didn't like penetration—just not by the male organ.
She considered asking Alex to dinner to discuss their favorite novels, but before Piper had the nerve to approach her, she was interrupted by a phone call from her father that she simply had to take. By the time the call was over, so was Alex's shift. Replacing her behind the counter was a lanky boy with rolled up shirtsleeves and pegged jeans.
That Friday morning, Piper returned to The Muddy Cup to put the final touches on her syllabi and to read another couple of chapters of her graduate school textbook. She waited in line behind a college-aged girl who appeared to be flirting with Alex. Piper stepped to the side, in hopes of Alex seeing her and wrapping up the conversation with College Girl, but her attempt was unsuccessful. Alex laughed at whatever comment College Girl made and appeared in no rush to complete her order.
Since no one was behind her, Piper ambled over to the bulletin board on the far wall to check out the multitude of flyers, edges curling up as the air conditioner hit them. She hadn't noticed music playing in the background before, but there was a low, muffled sound coming from a speaker at the other end of the coffee shop. It was precisely the kind of music one would expect in a college town coffee shop; in fact, Piper recognized the musician as one she'd heard at The Red Saucer, her favorite place in Northampton.
Though she knew she'd be busy with teaching and graduate school, Piper figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to get involved with some kind of fun or inspirational activity in Biddeford. She glanced at a flyer about a poker tournament, and then another, advertising a weekend hiking club. There was one colorful page tacked to the bulletin board with a picture of a woman strumming a guitar. Piper lifted the corner and read the small print.
"Don't let her name fool you."
She glanced to her right, where Alex had suddenly appeared.
A small smile cracked on Piper's face. "Kitty Kittatas?"
"She's a killer guitarist and lyricist." Alex's eyes drifted down to meet Piper's. "She plays here every month."
She released the flyer and looked up at the slightly taller barista. "What kind of music?"
"Her original stuff leans toward folk, but if you close your eyes, you'd swear you were listening to Alanis Morissette; Kitty's just not as hot as Alanis."
"Not many women are." Piper hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder, cheeks burning at the confirmation that Alex was more than likely gay. "I'll have to check her out tonight."
Alex grinned and nudged her glasses. "I'll save you a seat."
There was something about the other woman that Piper found downright sexy, and the thought of sitting close to Alex, listening to live music, turned her on.
"Want some coffee?" Alex walked back behind the counter.
"Yes, thank you. You seemed busy earlier." She looked around the room, but didn't see College Girl in the coffee shop.
"That was Jerri. If you hang out here more often, you'll get to know her." She wiped the counter with a damp rag. "Drip?"
"Please. Local celebrity?"
That caused a burst of laughter. "More like local lesbian with slutty tendencies."
Piper's eyes shot open. "Oh." Her pulse quickened as she pressed on. "Have you hooked up with her?"
Alex's eyes met hers, smile slowly fading, as she poured the dark liquid into a mug. "A while ago, yeah."
"So, if I ever get lonely and desperate…" she let the phrase hang in the air as she reached for her cup.
"Jerri's your girl," Alex finished, grin returning. "But I think you could do much better."
She lifted the mug, hoping to hide the blush that slowly crept up her neck and onto her cheeks.
"Hey, Alex—we've got a spill over here!" a man called from a table near the door. "You might need the mop."
The barista peeked around Piper as both women eyed the mess. "Fuck. I've got to clean this up, and then I'm out of here. My shift ends at 11."
"What time does Kitty start?"
"Seven." Alex grabbed a mop and bucket, and then walked to the area of spilled coffee. "This is why we have lids," she said to the man, who laughed and apologized for his toddler's antics.
Piper put the final touches on her syllabi, though it took her far longer than necessary as her mind kept drifting to Alex. She was eager to spend time with her when she wasn't working, and she wondered how her demeanor might change in a more casual setting. By the time Piper left the coffee shop, Alex had also disappeared.
Piper had a new faculty meeting at school that day, plus she had errands to run afterwards, so she figured by the time she got home to shower and change, it would be close to 7 o'clock. She was thankful to have a busy day ahead of her so as to keep her thoughts about the barista at bay.
The Muddy Cup had been well-lit every time Piper had frequented the coffee shop in the late morning hours, but in the evening, the interior looked remarkably different. Floor lamps radiating golden hues replaced the overhead lights, and the wooden tables were covered with tie-dyed tablecloths. In place of the four tables in the L-shaped part of the room was a sofa, loveseat and two oversized chairs.
"There's a $10 cover," the hipster barista announced from his perch on a stool.
"Oh, sorry." She reached into her purse.
"Don't worry about it, Chet." Alex walked around the corner and greeted Piper with a soft smile. "I got it."
"Thank you." She smiled at Alex, who was dressed a little more upscale than when she worked behind the counter. "His name is Chet?" she whispered.
Alex chuckled and led Piper over to the L-shaped area with a hand on her lower back. "I'm sure it's a fake name. His real one is probably Ben or Bob or something equally boring."
She snorted. "He's the very definition of hipster."
She held her hand out towards the loveseat, which had a handwritten 'reserved' sign on it. "Want a drink?"
Piper was keenly aware of Alex's hand, still lightly pressing against her lower back. "Is this for us?"
"I tried to get the sofa, but Bob beat me to it. I think he has a crush on Kitty."
"The loveseat is fine." She smiled again. "Does this place serve alcohol in the evenings?"
"No," she answered. "By drink, I meant something with froth or whipped cream instead of your usual drip coffee."
"Sounds like you're asking me to walk on the wild side…" Piper chuckled, enjoying their light banter. "I don't know about that."
"You're onto me." Alex removed the 'reserved' sign and walked behind the counter. "I'll make you something yummy."
She watched Kitty Kittatas tune her guitar as other patrons sipped their drinks in the comfortable chairs near the makeshift stage. Piper liked this place and would be happy to one day be considered a regular. She was also becoming fond of the barista and was looking forward to getting to know her more intimately.
Alex returned with a mocha Frappuccino, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and caramel sauce.
"No cherry on top?" Piper asked as she watched Alex lick the sauce that dribbled down her finger.
She sat next to Piper on the narrow loveseat. "Sorry, we're all out of cherries."
"Good evening, everyone," Kitty breathed into the microphone. She sat on the stool and tossed her curly red hair over one shoulder. "Thank you for coming out this evening. I've got a few new songs I want to try tonight." Kitty strummed the guitar until she found the right chord. "We'll start with this one. It's called, 'Love on the Other Side.' It's about how I fell in love with someone who lived in Hong Kong—literally on the other side of the world. Hope you like it."
Piper turned her body fully towards the singer, but she was keenly aware of Alex's presence next to her. She smelled sweet like butterscotch, and Piper wondered if she'd taste like that, too.
The song started out slow and melodic, but when she reached the chorus, Kitty's voice belted out in a way that betrayed her small stature. Alex was right—she sounded like a cross between Alanis Morissette and Eva Cassidy, and her smooth voice sent shivers throughout Piper's body. She looked up at Alex, who raised her eyebrows, leaned closer and whispered, "Told you."
Piper mouthed, wow, and then returned her attention to the stage. When the song was over, the 20 or so people in the room clapped and hollered their appreciation.
"You liked that one?" Kitty laughed. "Good, good. Thank you."
Piper hadn't listened to live music since her junior year at Smith, and even then, it was a shitty performance by a college band in a venue with horrible acoustics. She'd forgotten how mesmerizing live performances could be, and even though it was only the singer and her guitar on the small stage, her messaging was powerful. Piper also appreciated that the people who were at The Muddy Cup that night were there to listen to good music and support a local musician. In college, half of the audience showed up to either get drunk or hook up—the music was just background.
Kitty sang another four original ballads, followed by a gorgeous rendition of George Michael's Father Figure before taking a short break.
"Want another drink?" Alex stood and held her hand out to take the now empty glass.
"Any more caffeine and I'll be bouncing off the walls." Piper crumbled her napkin and put it into the glass. "I'll take some water if you don't mind."
"Be right back."
She surveyed the crowd around her, noticing that most of the people in the room were women, some of whom seemed to be on dates. Piper wondered if The Muddy Cup was a lesbian coffee shop (if there was such a thing.) There were several guys in the room, though, two of whom looked to be on dates with young, professionally dressed women.
Alex returned, tucking one leg under her as she sat down. Piper got a good whiff of sweetness as Alex plopped onto the loveseat, and her eyes automatically drifted to Alex's lips. She was convinced that Alex would taste like bitter coffee and buttery caramel.
"Here you go." She handed Piper a glass of ice water. "Enjoying Kitty's performance so far?"
"She's better than I expected." She took a long sip of water and was determined to learn more about the woman next to her. "So, Alex, what do you do when you're not working here or enjoying live music?"
"I have two jobs, actually." She took a swig of raspberry iced tea. "When I leave the coffee shop, I usually head to the second-hand bookstore on the other side of town."
"I thought I'd been to all the bookstores in Biddeford." Piper creased her brow, turning to face her more fully.
"Second Stop Books is on the border of Biddeford and Saco—not an area where college students typically hang out." She raised her eyeglasses to the top of her head, and despite how dim the room was, Piper noticed her hazel eyes for the first time. "I don't know how the store stays open, actually. On any given day, we might have 10 or 12 customers. I guess the ones who come in typically buy a shit load of books, so there's that." She took another sip and shrugged. "I don't mind though—I get paid to read all fucking day."
Piper smiled. "Sounds like a good gig to me."
Kitty returned to the tiny stage and covered Jolene and an Alanis Morissette song, both which brought the audience to their feet. The performance lasted until just prior to 9 o'clock, at which time Alex announced that she'd have to clean up and get things in order for what was sure to be a busy Saturday morning at the coffee shop.
Piper strapped her purse over one shoulder, sorry that the evening had come to an end. "This was fun. Thank you for encouraging me to come."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." There was a long pause before Alex spoke again, and Piper could almost see the wheels turning in her head. "Next weekend, there's a big art show in the park. Give me your number, and I'll text you the details. Maybe we could meet up there on Saturday afternoon."
"Yeah, I saw the flyer about it." Piper jutted her chin towards the bulletin board. "I'd like that." She jotted her number down on the back of a coaster and handed it to her.
Alex flipped the coaster over in her hand, and Piper admired her long fingers. "I guess I'll see you around."
"Definitely. Thanks again." Piper backed out of the L-shaped room, waving to her new friend as she exited the coffee house.
She followed the sidewalk along Grant Street, passed the local public school and down six more blocks to her grandmother's house near the water. She didn't typically walk to and from The Muddy Cup, but the summer air was cool against her skin as she made the mile-long trek back home. Piper couldn't stop smiling as she hummed a few bars of Alanis Morissette's That I Would Be Good and thought about seeing Alex the following weekend. Part of her was glad that she didn't ask for Alex's number, because she wouldn't have been able to delay texting her another day. Piper was sure they'd made a connection that had the potential to extend past friendship, and she was looking forward to finding out how soon more-than-friends might come.
Monday was upon her before she knew it, and Piper was more nervous than she thought she'd be on that first day of school. She knew she looked too young to be a teacher, so she'd have to find a way to garner the students' respect from the start. Piper had no problem establishing herself in front of the sophomores, but the seniors were a little harder to convince that she was in charge.
She called roll, and then introduced the syllabus, explaining why certain books were on the list and laying down the groundwork for what she hoped would be a productive year. Two boys walked in three minutes late, but Piper let it slide on the first day. When the third student walked in five minutes after that, Piper knew she'd need to make a hard stance on attendance.
"Most of the learning you'll do this semester will be in this room, so I expect you to show up on time every day," she began, pacing in front of the room. "You'll have a quiz every week at the beginning of class on any day I choose, and if you're late, you won't get the opportunity to make it up. I suggest you figure out a way to be in your seat by the time the quiz hits your desk."
As a few students gulped and nodded, the door opened a third time. Piper spun around, ready to give the now 15-minute tardy student a stern lecture, but when she saw who walked in, she dropped her pen and felt the blood rush out of her face.
"Alex?"