This is a new story idea I came up with inspired by the programme 'Bodyguard' - I highly recommend giving it a watch!
I'm hoping to make this more slow-burn compared to my other stories, but I'll see how that goes based on how patient I am.
Please let me know what you think in the reviews.
Enjoy!
Stepping out of her boss' office, Alex is pissed. Although still presenting herself in a professional manner when walking along the office space filled with colleagues in their cubicles; by the time she reaches her own private office, shutting the door behind her, Alex drops her act.
Walking around her large, wooden desk to her black leather desk chair, she takes a seat, relaxing her shoulders while doing so. For the past 5 years, the brunette had been working for the police force, and it wasn't until an incident during a case 3 years prior that she had taken a more salient role within the private sides of the force, whereby doing the underlying investigating work and individual protection took priority.
She's a big name in the office, and so in the moment the brunette is alone within the confines of her four office walls with only her own brain as company, she allows herself to momentarily break.
Her working life had been particularly stressful as of recent, but in having concluded one of the largest cases in her career to date and hearing just a few days later that she had a new appointment, it's something she isn't at all thrilled about.
As instructed, the brunette logs into her computer and checks her emails, immediately clicking into the one containing a more detailed recount of the information she had received from her boss.
Bodyguard work was something that often did not phase the older woman; looking after someone of a high calibre often brought its rewards, however in this instance she wasn't so sure. She had never been put in charge of the security of a person with this high of a calibre, and she most definitely wasn't sure about how she felt in dealing with people that held strong political links.
Piper Chapman, she learns, is one of America's best criminal lawyers with a top education, a strong political profile and an array of experience, yet in need of tight security. She's been brought in to help work with the policing in New York on a particularly controversial case; with attention from the media on the upcoming trial and the surprise of her appointment, Alex has been tasked with ensuring her safety.
Alex doesn't know too much about the woman - being that she hasn't dealt with any of Piper's cases before, but she decides to leave her research for later, instead collecting the necessary equipment needed to go and meet with the woman she will be working with as instructed at the bottom of the screen in a bold font.
By the time the brunette reaches the outside of the needed government building - a place in which she learns her client has a meeting, she feels prepared to carry out her job, yet somewhat unsure as to what she should expect. She'd heard a few things about the blonde woman's attitude towards her work; she takes no shit and has her eyes on the prize, and although that's the kind of work ethic Alex admires, she hopes that doesn't make the woman a pain in the ass to work with.
In seeing a black Range Rover appearing, the brunette straightens up her posture, fixes her black blazer that matches her white shirt and black trousers, and touches the clear wired earpiece that's in her ear to ensure it's in place correctly. She watches the person inside open the back car door themselves - despite another member of the security team moving to open it, and a long set of legs - paired with black stilettos - get out the car.
It's in this moment that Alex - for the first time - sets her eyes on who she believes to be Piper Chapman. Her blonde hair is loosely resting just below her shoulders, while her body is covered in a dark blazer and skirt matched with a white shirt. The brunette watches closely as the woman shuts the car door herself - an indication that she isn't quite used to having people doing things for her, as she begins to strut away from the car and into the building with a folder of - what she assumes are - documents held up against her chest.
Moving from her position, Alex walks over to the blonde so that she's now walking next to her.
"Ms Chapman - I'm Alex Vause. I'm the new head of your security," the brunette begins in a professional tone, holding out her hand to the side for the blonde to shake.
"So I'd heard," Piper begins while still looking ahead, eventually turning to look at the older woman who had now removed her rejected hand. "I'm afraid there won't be much for you to do considering I'm only here for a meeting," she adds, sounding serious.
"I'm afraid it doesn't quite work like that, Ms Chapman," Alex responds, holding open the door for the blonde to enter the building. "My job is to protect you, meeting or no meeting."
The blonde, however, doesn't reply as they step onto an escalator and reach the small reception area whereby the man Piper was waiting to meet greets her.
Alex stands and watches the exchange - smiling while delivering an appreciative nod at the man who greets her also, and when the blonde walks into the all glass meeting room, the brunette stands to the side with her back against the wall, giving her a view of the room's entrance, anyone coming up the escalator, and the blonde herself.
"Eagle's in the meeting room, park the car up," the brunette says, index finger pushing against her earpiece.
Moments like these are ones in which Alex isn't particularly fond of. Meetings generally take quite some time, and the only thing she gets to do is stand and wait. While to some that may seem like an easy job, but to someone like the brunette, you can't afford to be off the ball; making sure that she's watching for all forms of movement and even the slightest form of suspicious activity is something she needs to focus on.
Feeling as though she's being watched, Alex turns her head to the right so that she's looking into the meeting room, whereby she observes a certain blonde looking her way. Unsure what to do with her gaze, she maintains the eye contact, wondering why Piper isn't using her notebook and pen to jot down notes like everyone else at the surrounding long table is doing while the person at the front leads a presentation.
The blonde - in a bold manner - doesn't look away from where her cheek is resting in her palm - elbow on the table - for a few more seconds, before turning away back towards the man talking at the front.
Using her eyes to scan the blonde for a further few seconds, Alex soon turns her head back to its original position, hoping that Piper isn't going to be a difficult client - something she's yet to experience, however something about the blonde indicates that this could be the case; there is a first time for everything.
Another 3 hours passes by and Alex finds herself wondering whether Piper is ever going to leave the room. In what now looks like a rather heated exchange between herself and another member of the table, the brunette observes the blonde stand up, pick up her belongings, and walk towards the door.
The metal handle on the glass door smashes against the adjacent wall, creating a large echo throughout the landing space where Alex is standing, and from what she can see now that the blonde is closer, Piper looks genuinely pissed.
The blonde heads straight for the escalator, not saying a word, to which Alex follows, standing behind her while pressing down once again on her earpiece.
"Ready for the car."
Reaching the bottom of the escalator, Alex senses the blonde's intentions having seen her treatment of the last glass door she opened upstairs - along with the security hazard if she were to let her go first, she outstretches her arm sideways, ensuring it blocks the path across the blonde's body.
"Follow me please, Ms Chapman," the brunette announces while looking into the blonde's eyes, which she notes for the first time are an angry shade of blue, before removing her arm and opening the door for the both of them.
Seeing the same black Range Rover waiting outside the building, Alex moves to open the door - again beating the blonde to the job, and moves back - an indication for Piper to get in.
"After you."
Piper - without saying a word - gets into the vehicle and Alex follows, shutting the door behind her.
The car is quiet as the blonde's driver pulls away and makes its way back to the blonde's apartment - somewhere Alex was yet to see.
The brunette senses the blonde isn't up for talking, and when she watches her out the corner of her eye place her folder into her bag and instead take out her phone to begin replying to a text message, she turns to look out the window, not wanting to invade the blonde's privacy, as ironic as that may be.
Around 20 minutes later the car comes to a standstill, indicating that they have arrived at the blonde's apartment. Piper thanks her driver - the first thing she had voiced since her seemingly bad meeting - before opening her door and stepping out - something that makes the brunette let out a harsh breath through her nose as she turns to open her own door and step out.
She follows Piper up a set of stairs and into the empty lobby of the building before walking over to the elevator while watching her press the button to request it's arrival.
"What're you doing?" the blonde asks, still looking forward as she senses Alex's presence arrive next to her.
"My job," Alex stoically responds as she turns to face the blonde sideways on so that she can watch both the arriving elevator open along with the building's entrance.
With everything presumably clear, the brunette follows the blonde into the elevator.
"What floor?" she asks, looking into the blonde's blue oceans.
"Penthouse," Piper replies.
Of course it is, Alex thinks to herself, pressing the button and turning her back to the door, lowering her arms and placing her right hand over her left wrist, waiting to reach Piper's floor.
When the doors eventually re-open, Alex steps out and waits for the blonde to take her to the door as she tries to fish out her keys.
"I've got that," the brunette says, placing her hand on top of the blonde's that is putting the key into the lock.
"It's fine. It's just a door," Piper counters, attempting to turn her wrist but is stopped by Alex's tightening grip.
"You won't be saying that if someone unexpected was behind it."
"Oh, please. Don't make my life sound that exciting," the blonde responds, finally removing her hand from under Alex's, letting the brunette move in front to turn the key and open the door so that she can lead the way in.
"Wait there," Alex voices once Piper shuts the door behind her.
"I'm not just going to wait here in my own home," the blonde begins, attempting to walk further into the apartment.
"Ms Chapman," Alex begins, turning to face the smaller woman, "you're going to have to do what I say as a matter of your safety, not about whether it's something you like or not. Let me do my job and then I'll be on my way," she says in a loud, yet still professional, tone.
With no response from the smaller woman, Alex turns back around and walks through the bottom floor of the apartment, inspecting for anyone or anything that shouldn't be there.
She notes that it's a wonderful living space that is luxurious yet gives off homely undertones; once she assesses the living space, the kitchen, the dining area, and an office-like room, she walks back towards where the blonde is waiting.
"You expecting anyone upstairs?" she asks while beginning to ascend the staircase.
"No," Piper replies, seeming spaced out.
Reaching the top of the staircase, the brunette again moves to check all the rooms - a guest room, a bathroom, another spare office-like room, and the master bedroom along with its en-suite. She browses along the set of picture frames on the blonde's chest of drawers - one from her college graduation, one with what looks like her family, and one with herself sitting next to a man who has his arm around her shoulder, both smiling into the camera.
"I could fish out some old albums if you'd like," a voice travels from the bedroom door.
Clenching her jaw, the brunette turns around, spotting the blonde standing in the door frame. She identifies that she is no longer wearing her blazer and her long sleeve white shirt is rolled up to her elbows. In any other situation she wouldn't be able to look away, but Alex finds herself agitated by the woman before her.
"I thought I told you to stay downstairs."
"I was checking no one had murdered you," the blonde replies in a sarcastic fashion, moving back out the way as Alex moves to exit the room.
"I meant it when I said I'm only trying to do my job," Alex begins, but grows more agitated at the sight of Piper's staring gaze, seeming as though she isn't listening to everything she's saying.
"Ms Chapman?" she prompts, causing the blonde to blink and move to start descending back down the staircase.
"Well if you had a job like mine and had a day like mine, having to deal with another person isn't exactly something you'd wish for."
"I'm guessing the meeting went well then," Alex probes, following Piper down the stairs.
"Oh, I'd just bore you with all of the political shit they try and feed you."
"I see," Alex pauses as they reach the bottom of the stairs and walk until they take a halt in the lounge area. "Do you live alone?" she goes on to ask while scanning her eyes over the set of pictures above the fireplace, noting the man from the picture upstairs making an appearance once again.
"Well does it look like anyone else is here?" Piper smartly asks before Alex turns her way, giving her a stern look that tells the blonde not to fuck with her more than she already has. "Yes, I live alone," she pauses before going on to add: "That's Larry by the way," she nods her head towards the picture she saw the taller woman analysing, "my boyfriend."
"Good to know," Alex says, delivering a close-lipped smile.
"So if there would be anyone here other than me, it would be him."
"Again: good to know," the brunette repeats, adjusting her blazer. "I'll see you at pick up tomorrow morning, Ms Chapman," she announces,moving to head for the front door.
"Call me Piper," the blonde says, having followed her companion into the hallway. "Ms Chapman makes me sound old."
"I'm afraid that's against my obligation," Alex turns after opening the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ms Chapman," she adds with emphasis before walking out, not wanting to hear another smart comment coming from the blonde's mouth.