Piper looked around their new space, ready to officially house the headquarters of PoPi Soaps as of the first of the month.
"Pol?"
"Yeah?"
The brunette looked up from her laptop and watched with amusement as Piper wiggled in her chair.
"This is so fucking great! I'm so excited!" she squealed happily.
"Me too! We have worked fucking hard for this. Cheers, bitch!"
The women clinked coffee mugs emblazoned with their new company logo before going over their task lists for the weeks to come. The office furniture had been delivered, including Piper's antique desk, which had been brought down from her grandmother's house. They still needed to move some things and decorate the offices and reception area before celebrating with a launch party for clients and friends scheduled in three weeks. The building they had chosen was on Madison Avenue and had a gym, cafe, and security for the tenants and staff. It was impressive and Piper was proud.
"Ugh we still have so much to do," Polly groaned, reclining on the small couch in Piper's office and covering her face with a file dramatically. "So when is that organization sending us our criminals?"
"Polly. We have been over this a hundred times."
"Piper. You really want and thieves and drug addicts working here?"
Piper rolled her eyes.
"I want our company to do good things. And giving people a chance to rebuild their life is a good thing, isn't it? Plus, we get a tax break for participating in the program and that makes our accountant very happy."
"Yeah. That's true. Ugh. Fiiiine. Whatever they steal is coming out of your share of the profits, though."
"Deal." Piper grinned and rolled her eyes. "The woman who runs the program, Wanda, said she is sending us two assistants to interview on Monday."
"Okay. I'll make sure to wear costume jewelry on Monday."
"Polly!" Piper admonished her friend but both women laughed.
"I'm going to my office to call Pete to come pick us up and take us out for dinner."
"Thanks," Piper shrugged and shook her head, "but I don't want to be the third wheel."
"Oh, please. Since when? Plus, you won't be. Pete's bringing a friend for you. Now, before you-"
"Pollyyyyy," Piper whined, "I really don't feel like being fixed up tonight."
"Ahem, as I was saying, before you whine about it, I didn't set this up. Pete begged me. His friend is new to New York and needs to meet people. It's just dinner, it's not like you have to marry the guy! Pleeeease, Pipes?"
"Fine," the blonde acquiesced, throwing her hands up, "but we had better be going somewhere fabulous. I'm starving."
"Hey, Stretch, a little help?"
Alex put down the box she was unpacking, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and took the lightbulb from Nicky's hand.
"How many ex-cons does it take to change a lightbulb?"
The two women laughed as their tiny kitchen was illuminated.
"It ain't much but it beats the hell out of the Litch," Nicky pulled two beers out of their otherwise empty fridge and handed one to Alex.
"Damn right."
Alex tapped her beer against her roommate's and swallowed the cold liquid, her eyes shutting at the pleasure of drinking something of her choice, in her apartment, no COs, no count to worry about. Alex had been released two months before Nicky and had used the time to find them a place to live, visit several of her old storage units that the Feds had thankfully overlooked, and get some things in order. She had lived in the most glamorous of places but, right now, she was purely happy in this sixth floor walk-up with her freedom, her best friend, and a six pack of beer. She even had a job interview on Monday. Things were looking up.
Piper woke up on Saturday morning with the sun streaming directly into her eyes, making her keenly aware of the hangover that had her head throbbing and stomach clutching.
"Ohhhhh. Nooooo. Why?" she covered her face with her hands and admonished herself in a pained whisper. "I must have had tequila. Dammit, Piper, you know you shouldn't drink Tequila."
"And you definitely shouldn't combine it with whiskey and gin," a male voice intoned teasingly.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Piper jumped up hastily and glared at the curly-haired man in her bed. Realizing she was naked, she grabbed the sheet and wrapped it tightly around her, backing away from the bed. "WHO. THE FUCK. ARE YOU?!"
The man just grinned at Piper's confused shrieking.
"I'm Larry. From last night..."
"Obviously," Piper snorted. "And what are you doing in my apartment, in my BED, Larry from Last Night?"
He laughed at her indignation and she glared at him, her nostrils flaring.
"Something funny?"
Larry shook his head, trying to stop himself from laughing uncontrollably at the blonde and her adorably confused outrage.
"I'm sorry. I'm Larry Bloom. Pete's writer friend? And you were, let's say, quite insistent that I come home with you last night."
Piper tried hard to recall and suddenly flashed on the memory of laughing and doing multiple shots with Larry and Pete. She groaned.
"At least tell me I didn't sing karaoke?"
This set Larry off again, tears streaming down his face as he convulsed in laughter.
"I DID? Dammit! I haven't done that since I drank all the Tequila in Bali."
"No, no, you didn't," Larry assured her, catching his breath.
Piper threw a book from her nightstand at him.
"Not funny, Larry from Last Night."
"Sorry, Piper. So, you've been to Bali?"
"I've been everywhere," she smiled as warm memories flashed behind her eyes, stopping with a harsh screech, her mind supplying the sound of a record scratching when she thought of Paris.
"It was in another lifetime."
Larry obviously saw the far away look in her eyes and tried to break whatever spell had come over her. "Just to be clear, you mean in your past, right? We're not talking about other lives, Shirley MacLaine style, right?"
Piper laughed. "In my past. Yes."
Larry smiled. He glanced at his phone.
"Whoah, it's ten o'clock. I really should get going." He stood and Piper blushed and averted her eyes as he stood and quickly pulled on his boxers, followed by jeans and a tee.
"I'm sorry for..." Piper offered.
He shook his head.
"Don't be. Listen, Piper...I think you're just great."
His smile was wide and, she had to admit, slightly charming.
"I'd like to see you again. Maybe have a date that you actually remember the next day?" He arched an eyebrow and smiled. "I'll call you."
He kissed her on the cheek and headed for the elevator.
Piper just nodded belatedly and proceeded to lock her door behind him. She got back in bed, grinning. Larry had inadvertently scared the crap out of her but he seemed like a sweet guy. It had been a long time since she had even thought about letting anyone in. If she was honest with herself, not since...
Alex slept fitfully on the couch of their one bedroom apartment. She stirred as Nicky walked her date from the bedroom to the front door, kissed the petite woman goodnight, and engaged the three locks and the deadbolt Alex had installed.
"Hey, Vause. You still up?"
"Yeah, Nick."
"Whaddya, been listening? Pervert. I'd have invited you to join us but I think this chick is a little classy to spring that on the first date."
Alex laughed. "Nah, it wasn't that. I'm okay, Nicky. You can go to bed."
"Fuck you." Nicky sat down on the couch next to Alex, who stared at the floor, looking vulnerable without her customary glasses.
"Bad dreams again?" Nicky whispered, placing a hand on Alex's back gently.
"Yeah."
"'Bout Litchfield?"
"Nah."
Nicky ran a hand through her wild mane and shook her head.
"Then...what? Help me out here, Vause," Nicky sighed. "Oh wait! I know! The ex?"
Alex nodded, still looking down at her feet.
"Piper."
Nicky rolled her eyes.
"Ah yes, Piper. Again. Jesus fuckin' Christ. You know what I think? You need to get laid, woman. You're hot as hell, recently released from prison, and you're lying here moping over a woman you haven't seen in what, ten years?"
"Eight and a half."
"Oh, man. 'And a half''," Nicky mocked, "You're killin' me, Vause."
"Fuck you, Nichols."
"Hey, if you think it'll help..."
Alex laughed. "Shut up. I'm okay, Nicky, really. Thanks."
"Suit yourself," Nicky shrugged and gave Alex's shoulder a squeeze before heading back to bed.
Alex lie awake for a long time, thinking about all of it. All of the things she'd had, how she'd fucked it all up. When she'd had enough of her pity party, she sat up, reaching for her glasses and a notebook from the coffee table. The brunette's tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth as she made a list of what she needed to do. She underlined the last item on the list three times:
Find Piper
"Piper. Piper. Hellooo?"
Piper continued to look down at the budget she was reading. It was only ten, yet Monday felt incredibly long already.
"You can't still be mad at me about this," Polly protested.
"Oh, can't I? Because I am," Piper replied petulantly, not looking up.
"You're an adult, Piper. You wanted him to come home with you!"
"I was shitfaced drunk, Polly! You're my best friend, you should have stopped me."
"He's cute!"
"He is kinda cute," Piper admitted. "But there's something about him...I can't put my finger on it...he's cute, he's funny, but something is just not right..."
Polly stood and shifted a stack of papers into her arms, preparing to go back to her office on the other side of the reception area.
"Larry is fine. He likes you. Go out with him again. You find something wrong with everyone, Piper. I think you just make excuses to drive away anybody who isn't-"
"Don't. Don't even say it."
Polly sighed.
"Fine, Piper. I'm going to make some phone calls. Just think about it, okay?"
"You sure I look okay? Professional like?" Nicky tugged at her black jacket uncomfortably.
"For the tenth time, yes. You look great. It's just an interview. Relax."
"Yeah, yeah. It would be cool to work together, though. Nice of Wanda to send us to the same office."
"Yeah, she's a peach," Alex snarked.
"You need sleep, Vause. Not to mention-"
"Shut up, Nichols."
They reached their subway stop and walked up Madison until they arrived at a nice new building. Scanning the directory, Alex found "PoPi Soaps" listed on the fourteenth floor. She tugged Nicky in the right direction, heading for the elevators.
"Hey now! Just a minute!"
The women turned in annoyance to find a man with a creepy mustache darting out from behind his desk.
Polly picked up her phone and accepted the ring from the lobby.
"Hello?"
"Morning, Ms. Harper, it's Joe Caputo. I have two lovely ladies to send up to you. They say they are here for interviews?"
"Yes, okay," Polly sighed. "Send them up."
The brunette left her office and opened the door to Piper's without knocking.
"The criminals are here," she announced.
Piper rolled her eyes and gestured with the phone in her hand.
"I'll be right there, Pol."
"Hurry up, bitch. They could be dangerous."
Polly tapped her foot nervously as she spotted the two women at the glass doors to their suite. She leaned over the reception desk and buzzed them in, inwardly cursing Piper.
"Hi. I'm Polly Harper-"
The shorter woman thrust her hand out and shook Polly's enthusiastically.
"Nicky Nichols. Pleased to meet ya."
Alex rolled her eyes before extending her hand as well.
"I'm-"
Polly gasped. "Supercunt!"
Nicky grinned. "Wow, you certainly have an effect on people, Vause."
Piper strode from her office into reception, focused on the legal pad in her hand.
"Hey Pol, have you seen my pen, the pen that I like with the...Holy. Fucking. Shit."
The blonde froze as she took in the scene before her, her eyes stopping the tall dark-haired woman who made her breath catch in her throat.
"Alex?"
A/N: Here we go! Please review and let me know what you think. All ideas welcome! :)