Hey! So, I haven't posted anything here in a while so be nice! I decided to start anew because I've had a lot people asking from other fics if I would carry on. I'm probably not going to be continuing those but here's something Vauseman to appease you all! I hope you enjoy it! Reviews and favourites are always always welcome!
Chapter One:
The shop was quiet, filled only with the chatter of dispersed customers and the low hum of an electric fan oscillating in one corner. The girl behind the bar didn't look at all out of place in the green barista apron, her blonde hair bunched into two low pigtails either side of her head.
Alex pushed the door to the café open and stood for a moment observing the girl. She wiped the side, moved a stack of cups before she moved them back, wiped the same bit of side again and paused. It was a tactic she recognized fondly. The old I'm-trying-to-look-busy-even-though-I'm-bored-out-of-my-mind manoeuvre. Alex briefly registered that the girl looked familiar but dismissed the thought and grabbed a sandwich from the fridge.
She set it down with an empathetic smile as the girl turned to face her
"Slow day?" Alex shot her the signature grin. The Vause grab-your-coat grin.
To her surprise, instead of the usual blush that usually met Alex's smile, the girl's blue eyes narrowed and the smile disappeared from her face.
"Yep. Any drinks?".
Slightly baffled and feeling as though she had missed a step Alex tried to claw control back to the situation.
"An iced latte with a shot of hazelnut please Love."
"Don't call me Love. Name?"
It was Alex's turn to blush, crimson flushed her face as she mumbled, "Alex"
"Got it. Wait at the end.".
Alex nodded, disgruntled by how this interaction had gone, Alex tried to rack her brains for when she could have possibly offended this girl. The girl put the takeaway cup down forcefully in front of her.
"Thank you" Alex mumbled. She turned the cup to see her name written on the side. Or not her name, in fact. There, in a loopy cursive, scrawled in black marker, "Alice".
Alex went back the next day. Same as before she watched the blonde haired barista go about menial tasks, cute as a button, even when serving a dozen customer until Alex joined the queue. As soon as Alex's sandwich and drink order crossed the bar, the girl slipped straight back into her Monosyllabic Sally routine.
"Name?".
"Alex" She made sure to say it clearly.
"Got it. Wait at the end".
Alex stood at the end of the bar, fighting a silent battle between asking the woman where she knew her from but decided better of it as her drink arrived,
"Your drink".
"Thanks".
She turned her cup again, and once again in the scrawling black handwriting, the wrong name, today she was, "Allie".
By the fifth day, she had been Alice, Allie, Alexa and Amy. Determined to figure out why this girl disliked her so much, she cut the woman off at "Name?".
"It's Alex. I've been in every day for the last week. You haven't managed to get it right yet so far. It's Alex".
"Cool". The girl gave a small smirk and did an exaggerated sweep of her hand over the cup, "Got it. Wait at the end".
Alex leant on the bar resting on her elbows and examined the girl as she made her drink.
"So, what is your name? I know you. I'm sure of it. From somewhere. But where?". The girl finished the drink and placed it in front of her. Twisting it in her direction so she could see what she had written on today's cup. And there, in glorious black script, "Alex Vause".
"YOU DO KNOW ME! Wait what, why? What's with torturing me?" Alex stood agape, completely infuriated and bemused. The barista gave a small shrug and a mischevious grin,
"Why not?".
Alex grumbled, stirring her drink with her straw,
"Because it's really, really annoying".
"Um, but mostly it's been really, really making me laugh."
Alex grabbed a packet of sugar from the side and threw it at the girl playfully, "Well stop it".
The girl laughed scooping the fallen packet from the floor.
"So where do I-?"
"Summer break, after senior year, you dated my friend", Piper watched with a grin as the expression on Alex's face twisted from confusion into bewilderment into realization, her eyes widening for just a moment and then finding the word,
"Oh my god, Polly. You're Polly's friend Piper!".
Piper bought one finger to her nose and then pointed at Alex grinning,
"You got it Abby!"
"Ha. Ha. Piper Chapman! Yes, yes, yes, I remember you now. You practically lived in those really short shorts all summer and -"Piper shot her a warning glance.
"And you dated my best friend let me remind you before you launch into a full-scale commentary on my legs or some other body part." She grinned, her smile reaching her bluer than blue eyes.
Alex grinned lightly and did an exaggerated gulp and pulled at her collar, "Right you are. So. Wow. How is Polly?". Piper laughed.
"Married actually. With child. Straight, unsurprisingly." Alex nodded, smiling wistfully.
"Yep, preeeetty sure I was more of a point of contention with her Mom than a serious commitment…I'm not actually even sure she even really liked me all that much.".
Piper grinned and chuckling agreed, "Yeah, no, she didn't really".
Alex laughed, directing her attention back to Piper herself and took in her eye-meeting grin and summery optimism that was evident in every action she did, "What about you? Lifetime coffee making dream fulfilled?", Alex asked, genuinely curious rather than asking questions as a means to an end like she did with most women.
"100%", Piper nodded overly enthusiastically, throwing her arms wide, indicating the shop around her,
"Living. The. Dream.". Alex snorted through a sip of her coffee.
"I'm doing this and that. I've thoroughly enjoyed bothering you though. That may have been the highlight of this most recent endeavour".
The women smiled at each other lightly, and as though the spell was broken, the moment splintered as the door closed with a thud and another customer approaches the register to order.
"Well then. I'll leave you to it. See you soon Piper Chapman."
"Bye Adaline"
Alex grinned into her drink as she pushed through the door and out into the car park glancing back through the window as Piper continued work.
The Jeep Alex drove was big, so big that it made her lengthy 5 foot 11 inches look petite. She called it the Beast, it's metallic steel edges and blacked out rear windows made it incredibly noticeable around this moderately sized town. No, it definitely wasn't the subtlest of vehicles but it was never the intention that she stay long enough for it to become an issue. Now she wasn't so sure, perhaps she'd have to swap the Beast in for a more conspicuous model.
She pulled up in front of the house and waited for the man to climb in. Neither broke the silence between them as she drove the fifteen minutes from the house to the grocery store but as she did so the man opened the glove compartment. From it he removed a small brown envelope and replaced it with another he had taken from his pocket. She pulled into a space and he swung the door open with a nod. She waved to him and he waved back with a grin. To any onlooker, just two old friends out for a drive. She pulled out of the space and drove away.
Let me know if there's something in particular you see for them or if there's anything you love/hate! Until next time!