Better Than Paris
Chapter Two
"You look like crap."
"Thank, Polly, you look really nice too," I snapped angrily, taking the mug of coffee that Polly offered me and drinking deeply from the steaming beverage. A few more sips and I felt my irritation begin to subside as my sleep deprivation drifted into the background. "Seriously though, it's ten am on a Saturday. What are you doing here?"
"Well, I would have been here yesterday after that man whore dumped you, but I had so many things to do, the least of which being changing my wedding plans. I mean, seriously Pipes, Michael really couldn't have picked a worse time. He was supposed to be Pete's best man and the wedding is in three weeks!"
"What? I asked, furrowing my brow in confusion. "Polly, Michael was Pete's friend before he was my asshole of a boyfriend. He can still be Pete's best man."
"No." Polly's tone of voice was firm and final as she shook her head. "I banned it and Pete completely understood, Pipes. Michael's always been a jerk anyway, so Pete just asked Larry if he would step up for the job and he said yes, thank god. At least now I won't have to worry about strippers at the bachelor party."
I smiled at Polly, although I internally rolled my eyes at the thought of spending the whole day with Larry. The man bored me almost literally to tears, nonstop talking about his failing writing career and his parents.
But I'd take boring Larry over asshole Michael, any day.
"So," Polly took a sip of her own coffee, studying me shrewdly. "I think we're in for a girl's night out tonight. Or would you rather come over to my place and binge watch Grey's Anatomy?"
"Can't," I sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I promised Nicky that I'd go to the party she's throwing tonight."
"Nicky?" Polly laughed at the mention of the wild haired woman. "I love her! Can I come?"
"No," I replied with a smirk, watching as my best friend deflated before my eyes with a pout. "You only like her because she compliments your every move. She would have managed to finally take you home last time, if it wasn't for me calling Pete to come pick you up."
"What can I say? I like being the center of someone's attention," Polly flicked her long dark hair over her shoulder with a satisfied smile. "Plus, she has such a clever mouth. I bet that she'd know just what to do with it. Maybe you should-"
"No!" I laughed at suggestion my best friend was about to make.
"Why not?" Polly countered. "It's been a while since you've been with a girl. Scared you've gotten rusty?"
"No, it's just, it's Nicky!" I chuckled as I refilled my coffee mug. "I love her to death, but she isn't going to be the woman that sends me back down South, you know?"
"Hey, it's not like you have to date her, just cleanse your palate," Polly shrugged as she left the kitchen and sat down on the leather couch in my living room. "I miss hearing all the disgusting details, I mean; it's been like eight years since you've been with a woman. Who was that last girl, Stacy?"
"Casey," I corrected, remembering the tall, red haired bass player that I'd dated just after I finished college. I sat down on the couch next to Polly, sighing as I once again noticed the gaping hole left by my television. "Damn, I miss my fucking TV."
"Yeah," Polly sighed sullenly. "No more McSteamy's face on the seventy inch screen. Bummer."
"Asshole," we both murmured in unison before sighing and taking sips of our coffee, staring forlornly at the empty television cabinet.
/
It was almost ten when I pushed the door open to Nicky and Tricia's apartment, grimacing at the smell of marijuana that assaulted me the second I stepped through the entrance. I gripped the six pack of beer in my hand, holding it against my chest before quickly grabbing one of the cans and snapping it open, downing half the can before I'd even taken another step. I felt my tense muscles relax and once again let my eyes wander around the packed apartment. People danced on tables and couches to my left, while to my right, a couple made out against the wall.
"Use protection," I muttered as I made my way to the kitchen, where I had seen a flash of bright red lipstick and pale blonde braids. I smiled at the few people that I saw from work scattered around the apartment, along with the people that I had met through Nicky as I pushed past dancing couples and around furniture before finally stepping into the crowded kitchen.
"Chapman!" Lorna's heavily accented voice greeted me, her arms opening wide to give me a tight hug. I smirked at Nicky over her shoulder, who was sitting on the kitchen bench, her eyes focused intensely on Morello and the short black skirt that hung low on her hips. I gave Lorna an extra squeeze, earning the bird from Nichols before finally pulling away from the dark haired woman.
"How ya doing, honey?" Lorna asked me, her big brown eyes sympathetic as she looked up at me.
"I'm fine," I managed a smile, receiving a consoling pat on the arm which told me that how unconvincing it truly was. I shrugged my shoulders dejectedly at Nicky, finishing off the last of my beer and throwing the empty can in the bin before turning to greet the other women in the kitchen.
"Don't worry," Mercy spoke from her seat on the kitchen table, her legs wrapped around Tricia trim waist, whom stood in front of her. "We'll take good care of you tonight."
"Yeah," Tricia added with a grin. "We'll make you forget all about that asshole."
"All right," I laughed, placing my beers in the already full fridge before turning back to Mercy and pointing a finger at her. "But no 'cigarettes' this time."
"Aw, Chapman, you ruin all my fun."
/
"Seriously though, Tricia, the chimps stole my stethoscope yesterday. It's getting ridiculous."
"Hey, at least they gave it back," The blonde shrugged, a small smile lighting up her face as she leant into her girlfriend who sat on the arm of the couch. "And they're just acting up because Angus is still in the hospital. They'll calm down once he's back."
People had finally stopped dancing on the couches and our little group had taken them for our own, using the coffee table to cut slices of lemon for our tequila shots. We were now almost on our second bottle and I could definitely feel the effects of the alcohol in my system as heat infused my cheeks and my laughter came much more easily. I felt myself relax into the couch, my legs splayed open and a can of bourbon and coke in my hands, courtesy of Nicky who had taken pity on me after I'd finished all my drinks in the first hour after my arrival.
I always seemed to forget how much I drank at Nicky's parties until the next one.
"Feelin' good, Chapman?" I looked up as Nicky perched herself on the arm of my chair, an easy smile on her face as she rested her forearm on the top of my head. "You always look better when you're drinking."
"No," I chuckled, shoving her arm off my head and glancing briefly at the dark haired woman at Nichols shoulder before turning back to my friend. "I always look better when you've been drinking."
"That is true," Nicky conceded with a lazy grin, before looking over her shoulder. "Alex, this is my friend, Piper Chapman, who just got dumped two days ago by her asshole boyfriend and works with me at the Bronx. Piper, this is my friend, Alex Vause, who is a cocky, arrogant little shit, who just happens to be useful from time to time, hence why she is here."
"Hi," I offered to the bespectacled, slyly grinning Alex, who I had just noticed was unnervingly attractive. She was tall and had long black hair, with electric blue tips that fell in gentle waves over her broad shoulders. She wore a revealing white tank top, which gave me a nice view of her breasts and the rose tattoo that decorated her arm. And I could only imagine what her ass looked like in the tight black jeans that clung to her curves like a second skin.
"Hello," God, her voice sounded like sex and the chuckle she produced next reminded me of the burning sensation in my stomach just before orgasm. I averted my gaze from the impossibly hot woman as I felt a poke to my shoulder and took the shot that Morello offered me, downing it quickly before taking the lemon slice from between her teeth with my own. I could feel Alex's eyes on me from behind her glasses and turned my head to catch her staring as I sucked on the lemon. I raised an eyebrow at her in question, which prompted her to speak. "So, you work with Nichols?"
"This is the woman who saved my lion cub!" Nicky interjected before I could speak, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close. "Pulled him practically from the jaws of his daddy and then stitched him up. My fucking angel!"
I chuckled as Nicky pressed a wet kiss to my cheek, used to this kind of affection from my friend in her inebriated state. "I did no such thing, Nick. James threw a goddamn giant steak into the cage; Kino didn't even know I was there."
"Modest as well as heroic," Alex said with a smirk gracing her perfect red lips. "I like that in a woman."
"And what do you do, Alex?" I asked, taking a mouthful of my drink before continuing. "Besides wrongfully compliment strangers at parties?"
"She's an importer," Nicky answered, cutting off Alex as she opened her mouth to respond. The raven haired woman raised her eyebrow at the blonde before simply smiling in amusement.
"Yes, an importer," Alex confirmed, turning her burning gaze back to me and causing a flush to rise to my cheeks.
"Right," I drew the word out, turning away from Alex's flirtatious smile to focus on Nicky, who was giving Alex a look that I couldn't figure out. I shrugged my shoulders, unable to find the will to care as I downed the rest of my drink. I pushed myself slowly to my feet, gently shrugging off Nicky's shoulder and groaned when the room tilted and spun, making the thought of moving almost impossible.
"Totally going to end up in the bath," I muttered to myself, pushing past Nicky's mysterious friend with a soft 'excuse me' as I made my way to the bathroom. I stepped unsteadily over the legs of several people sitting on the floor before pushing open the door to the thankfully empty bathroom, a rare thing at a house party. I closed the door behind me and leant against it, waiting for the room to stop spinning as I played the will I, won't I, game as the alcohol revolted in my otherwise empty stomach.
"Nope, I'm good," I smirked in satisfaction after several nauseating minutes, making my way to the mirror and checking myself out in its reflection. I grumbled at my incredibly messed up hair and quickly attempted to order the blonde locks before straightening my low cut white t-shirt. My makeup was thankfully still in place and after a quick check of my teeth; I dropped my pants and sat on the toilet.
There was a gentle knock on the door, barely heard over the loud music and I frowned as the door knob shook as someone tried to open it. "Busy in here!"
There was a familiar groan outside the door and I smirked, figuring that the tequila shots had finally caught up with Morello. I stood up and flushed before washing my hands, sighing in exasperation when there was another knock on the door.
"Lorna, it's only been five seconds since you knocked last and unless there's some secret escape route from Nicky's bathroom that I don't know ab-" I was cut off as I opened the bathroom door, only instead of Morello waiting outside, it was Nicky's ridiculously hot friend, Alex. "Oh, fuck."
"That's not the inflection that I usually hear with those two words," the tall brunette chuckled, adjusting the glasses on the bridge of her perfect nose. God, who ever thought that glasses could be so attractive on anyone other than a sexy librarian porn star?
"Sorry," I smiled shyly, carefully sliding past the woman who was blocking my path. I couldn't help but grin as I noticed Alex turn to watch me as I made my way back into the lounge room, feeling her eyes practically undressing my body as I added a little sway to my hips. I thought I heard a low, husky chuckle from behind me, but my attention was already being refocused on Mercy and Tricia, who had just started a dance off with another one of Nicky's friends, Big Boo.
"Hey Blondie, get over here!" Boo gestured me over with a wicked grin. "Let's show these girls how to really grind!"
I took the shot of tequila being pressed into my hand by a diabolically smiling Nicky before joining the group of girls dancing on the coffee table.
Nicky's bath, here I come.
/
I woke up to the blinding light pouring in through Nicky's kitchen window, setting my already cracked skull on fire. I groaned piteously, wondering how and why I had ended up on the uncomfortably cold kitchen floor, using a loaf of bread as a pillow. I carefully lifted my arm, feeling as if my entire body had been thrown out of a seven story window and placed it over my eyes, immediately feeling the relief from the painful sunlight.
"Would you like some coffee?"
Despite the skull splitting pain in my head, the low, smooth voice did surprisingly little to irritate me, though the thought of coffee was both welcome and nauseating.
"I just made a fresh batch," the voice continued. "You don't have to move, I can get it for you."
I gave a very unladylike grunt of agreement, following the voices advice and staying completely still, even as I heard footsteps move close to my head. I cracked one eye open, my blurry vision eventually clearing to reveal black biker boots, right next to my head. I liked them, I decided before closing my eyes once more, grateful to this stranger with the nice boots who was getting me coffee which would hopefully ease my hangover.
"Vause!" A new voice entered the mix, though this one was more familiar, and a lot more painful. "And... Chapman? What are you doing with my bread?"
A low, husky chuckle answered Nicky's words and the sound caused memories to flash behind my eyes, of a dark haired, extremely attractive woman who undressed me with their eyes and was named Alex.
Alex Vause.
I could only groan even louder and more pathetically as I realized this nice stranger who was getting me coffee, was also the very sexy friend of Nicky's who I had met last night. The same woman who was now seeing me hungover, looking most likely like a train wreck, on Nicky's kitchen floor with a loaf of bread as a pillow.
Not really the impression I had wanted to make.
"Go away, Nicky," I moaned, rolling over on the floor and burying my face into the bread in attempt to hide. "This is all your fault."
"You know, there is a couch only a few feet away," Nicky's voice was much closer now, sending spikes of agony through my skull. "There's even a nice fuckin' carpet just past that door."
I could only moan in response, as I felt my hand being carefully manipulated until my fingers were surrounding a hot mug of what I knew was coffee. I mumbled my thanks as I carefully lifted my head, keeping my eyes closed as I brought the edge of the coffee cup to my mouth. I took several healthy swallows, before I rested my head back on my makeshift pillow, listening as Nicky and Alex spoke to one another.
"You heading off now?" I heard Nicky's voice from what I assumed was the floor next to me.
"Yeah," that deep, husky voice drawled in response. "I've got to go meet with a client. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon though."
"Sounds good, Vause."
I heard footsteps and cracked open my eyes to once again find those boots only inches away from my face before I looked up and they were replaced by smirking red lips and gray eyes, surrounded by thick rimmed glasses.
"Thanks for the coffee," I murmured, earning an even bigger smile from the brunette in response.
"Take it easy, Piper Chapman," Alex responded, giving me a wink. "I'll see you around."
I watched as those black boots exited my vision, listening as the door to Nicky's apartment opened and closed, before turning my head to find Nicky's face at very close range. "Jesus Christ!"
"Seriously, Chapman, the floor?" Nicky chuckled from her spot on the kitchen floor, almost nose to nose with me. "I could have thrown a pillow in the tub for you if it was so uncomfortable."
"Shut up, Nicky."
