AN
Thanks for the support so far. Hope you like this next one.
The look on Piper's face was incredulous.
"Larry...I...I..."
Her boyfriend's face literally crumpled. "Is this...is this a no Pipes?" He said, a lone tear, beginning it's descent down his pale cheek. He looked away, unable to stand looking at the blonde any longer.
"Come on pal, on your feet" Alex said, helping him up from bended knee.
"I don't need your help" Larry replied sulkily as he shrugged her off. He scrambled up to his feet and dusted himself down. "Don't suppose I'll be needing this then" he said, snapping the ring box shut.
"Larry, please don't be like this, we need to talk about it"
"Talk?" Larry guffawed. "You can talk with HER" he said pointing to Alex, "I'm going home, get your own ride back" and with that he stomped off.
"Do you think I should tell him he's going in the opposite direction of the exit?" Alex said smirking.
Piper tried to smile, but her heart felt heavy. Soon, a single fat tear drop adorned her cheek.
"Hey, stop that now" Alex said, gently wiping the blonde's tears away.
"There's a flower in the rain
Petals shimmering with tears
Hide your petals no more
Allow love to bloom"
"That's beautiful" Piper said, her tear immediately pausing. "Who wrote that?"
"Me" Alex smirked. "Zoo keeper by day, poet by night, I sometimes go for readings at Java Joe's, you should come and check it out some time"
Suddenly the blonde's day was looking up.
"When do you go there?"
"Mainly Saturday's, one of my friends owns the place, it's normally good fun, don't get too many hecklers. Up for it?"
"I mean...well.." She needed to sort things with Larry out, she knew that, but what harm was there in going to meet a new friend at the weekend? She wasn't doing anything wrong. Besides, the way Larry has stomped off like a spoilt child didn't leave him blameless in the scenario, after all, the proposal had come as a shock.
"So?" The brunette enquired. "Are you gonna stick or twist?"
"Twist" Piper replied with a grin, definitely "twist"
0-0-0-0-0-
Piper took a cab home and arrived to find Larry still sulking and nursing a bottle of bud light in front of a football game.
"You're watching football?" Piper enquired, a little puzzled.
"Top marks for observation Pipes" he replied, not bothering to hide his snippy tone.
"But you don't even like football, infact, you once described it as the root of all socio economic problems in modern day America"
"Oh so you do listen to me occasionally?" He continued, his tone failing to soften.
Piper took a seat next to the on the antique couch she'd had imported from France. "Please don't be like this Larry, it's just that the whole proposal came as a shock to me"
"A shock? We've been together four years Piper, was it really that much of a stretch to think I may want to propose to you?"
Piper sighed deeply. She wasn't sure what she thought any more. Larry was sweet and kind and reliable and she could do a lot worse. But there was something about Alex she just couldn't shake from her mind and if she was being really honest, it was all she'd been thinking about on the cab ride home. But the hang dog look on Larry's face made her feel guilty. "I didn't want my reaction to upset you Larry. Maybe we should talk over dinner tonight"
"Great!" Larry said, leaping up and ignoring the tone of her voice, "I'll book than gorgeous little hole in the wall, family run Spanish place we like. It's a date."
Piper couldn't help but feel it was anything but.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Yo stretch, what up!" Nicky boomed from behind the counter at the coffee shop.
Alex bumped fists with her. "Nothing much, ya know"
"Don't fuck about Vause, I can tell somethings up now spill."
"Well I met this girl" Alex began
"Should've known there would be some hot piece of ass at the centre of it. What's wrong, another married one?"
"No..." Alex explained what had happened that day.
"Well you know what you gotta do, get her to dump the chump"
"Easier said than done"
"Come on Vause, you know the drill, woo her, impress her, treat her like a princess."
Alex thought about it for a few minutes, Nichols was right, she'd need to make Saturday special, she just needed to think how.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Dinner had been a tricky affair. Piper had picked at her steak tartare and made polite conversation with Larry.
"You not enjoying that?" he said, pointing at her plate.
Piper shrugged.
"Is this because they couldn't tell you if the beef had been farmed from within a five mile radius?" Larry continued.
"What…no! Of course not! Look, can we just get the check, I'm getting a headache, I think I just need to go to bed, sleep it off"
"Fine" Larry sighed. "Waitress" he called, not paying attention to the figure that arrived at the table. He glanced over at Piper whose mouth was slightly agape.
"Alex!" she said, failing to hide the shock in her voice. "I thought you worked at the zoo?"
"Yea I do…but um…my ma's not well, she's got medical bills and stuff so I have to work two jobs"
"Two jobs?!" Piper repeated, incredulous.
"Well yea, hopefully it won't be forever"
"I'm sorry, it's just that I've never known anyone that had to work two jobs before. I'm really sorry to hear about your mother".
Larry rolled his eyes. "I thought you wanted to go Piper? You told me to get the check"
"I'll get this Larry, I've just remembered, I said I would look in on Polly while Pete's away, I'll see you back at home".
"Fine" Larry grumbled, not even bothering to argue.
"Nice to see you around again Barry" Alex grinned.
"It's Larry actually"
Alex winked, watching him depart.
"What time does your shift finish?" Piper asked, her boyfriend the last thing on her mind.
"Um, an hour or so, why?"
"In that case, I'd like to order something for an hour's time"
"Oh really"
"Yea…a drink with you"
Alex laughed. "Well that can be arrange, just let me finish up and I'll meet you out front?"
Piper nodded, her heart drumming hard in her chest. The possibilities for the evening suddenly seemed endless and she couldn't wait.
