Two.
Piper looked in the mirror at herself, she had changed her clothes close to ten times, and finally settled on a pair of black skinny jeans a white v neck T-shirt. "Casual, like this thing was going to be." She said to herself laughing at her logic.
She went into her bathroom to do her hair and makeup, she decided to leave her hair down and just put a little more curl into her already natural waves. While she was getting ready her phone rang she looked down at the screen to see Keith's name, "What now?" She asked her self before answering the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hi mom!"
"Hi Ben, how are you?" She asked.
"Good, Dad and I are going to go to Zebulon to see the Mudcats game and I realllllllly want my Jersey Can you bring it to me, we are leaving in an hour."
She looked at the time, 5:35 there was no way she could finish getting ready get to Keith's and then back before Alex arrived at six. "Bud, I am getting ready to go somewhere and don't think I have enough time to get it there. I am sorry."
"Oh.. okay."
She could hear the disappointment in his little voice, "Ya know what, Mommy will handle it Ben I will bring it by."
"Thank you Mom!" She could instantly hear him perk up, "I love you."
"I love you to Benjamin, I will call Dads phone when I am almost there I will need you to meet me outside okay?"
"Uh huh, see you then Ma."
She hung up the phone and sent Alex a quick text.
Alex: Hey I am going to be a little later than six, I have to run Ben something over to his fathers house and probably wont be back until about 6:15 or so.
She hurried to finish getting ready so she could get to Keith's and back as quickly as possible, her phone rang; it was Alex.
"Hey, I am sorry." Piper said answering the phone.
"No worries, but why don't I come pick you up and we can swing by there together" Alex said.
"Are you sure, I wouldn't want to put you out or anything."
"Of course I am sure, it means I get to see you sooner."
Piper blushed, "Sounds good to me."
"Good, cause I am almost to your house."
"sounds good, I will see you soon." Piper hung up the phone and scrambled to finish getting ready, the hotel wasn't far so she knew Alex would be here pretty soon.
There was a knock at her door, "Its open" She yelled as she went into Ben's room.
"Hey," Alex said walking in.
"Hey I am in here" She stuck her arm out of the doorway so Alex could see her, then ruffled through Bens drawers to find his Jersey. "Got it" She said when she finally found it and held it up.
Alex was now standing in the doorway, "Mudcats?"
"Minor league baseball team, Keith is taking Ben to a game today."
"Exciting" Alex said.
"For anyone but my son" Piper laughed, "Ben gets excited to go cause of the snacks and foam finger but as far as the game is concerned...he gets bored."
"Smart kid, who doesn't like the snacks at a baseball game..." Alex giggled.
"Right?! But I must say; I actually enjoy the game too." she said,
"Great" Alex said reaching out for her hand. Piper looked down at it and placed her hand in hers; Chills ran down her spine at the contact, it was almost magnetic
"Okay I am ready, where are we going?"
"A little place I know in Wilmington." Alex said.
"Wilmington is like, almost a two hour drive from here..." Piper said as they headed out to the car.
"Is that okay?" Alex asked opening Pipers door for her. "I figured I could use the drive to get to know you."
"Yeah, fine by me; I don't have a child until five pm tomorrow night... So I am at your mercy."
Alex smirked buckling her seat belt, "That's a loaded statement right there Piper."
"And I am alright with that." Piper smiled.
They pulled into Keith's driveway and Ben was waiting outside, he ran up the car. "Hi Mama."
"Hi Ben, this is Alex," Piper introduced them.
"Hi Alex, its nice to meet you."
"Its nice to meet you too bud, are you excited to go to the baseball game?" Alex asked him.
"Yes, I am going to a churro, hotdog, and popcorn, oh AND a slurpee" Ben was practically jumping up and down with excitement; "The Blue Kind!"
"Awesome!" She said, "Who are they playing?"
Ben shrugged, "I dono."
Both Piper and Alex giggled, "Okay, here is your Jersey, give me a kiss we gotta go."
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"To Wilmington" Piper said.
"With out me Mama, are you going to go to the beach?"
"We will go soon Ben I promise Now kiss your Mom and go have fun" Piper said.
Ben leaned his head into the car and kissed Piper, "I love you Mom, I will see you tomorrow."
"I love you to Benjamin, have fun tonight... Not too much sweets okay? I will see you tomorrow at five."
"Okay" Ben said "By Alex."
"By Ben nice to meet you."
"You too" He waved and ran back up the porch steps and disappeared into the house.
"He likes you" Piper said.
"Oh yeah, you got that out of a two second meeting?"
"No, I got that when he saw you walking into the yard yesterday and he said, 'wow mom she's pretty!'" She laughed.
"Really?"
"Uh huh, he's got good taste in women; like his Mama." She smirked.
"Well he's cut also like his Mama." Alex smiled. "So, this... Keith... what's he like?"
"He's an ass" Piper laughed as she said it, Alex looked at her. "Seriously, I don't know why I ever married him."
"Did you love him?" Alex asked.
"Once upon a time... yes, when I got pregnant with Ben he asked me to marry him and I was so happy; but that faded fast when I realized Keith didn't understand that getting married meant he had to stop dating."
"Seriously... Dick" Alex Shook her head.
"Exactly."
"When did you realize you were into women Piper?"
"Um about fourteen or fifteen" She said.
"But you like guys too?"
Piper nodded.
"How many women have you been with?" Alex asked.
"Two, Oh wait thats not including you... So three."
Alex nodded, "I see."
"What about you, do you Just like women?" Piper asked.
"Fuck yeah, boys are skeevy and gross." She laughed.
"Alright" Piper giggled, "Noted."
"You said your grandma raised you, so your mom and dad?"
"They passed away just before my tenth birthday" Piper told her.
"Oh I am sorry, I shouldn't have..."
"Its a valid question Alex" Piper said.
"Well I am sorry to hear that."
She nodded, "Derek and I lived with my Grandma after that; Grandpa had died a few years before so it was always just the three of us."
"You have a brother?" Alex asked.
Piper nodded, "Yeah he is two years younger then me, we have always been very close."
"I will have to meet him someday." Alex smiled.
"I am not sure you will be here when he gets back; he's currently in Afghanistan."
"How long will he be deployed?"
"Another six months." She said. "My turn to ask a question?"
Alex nodded "Sure go head."
"How did you... get into the business you are in?" She asked gently.
"I guess it sorda fell into my lap, I hung around with some not so awesome people who were into some not so awesome things, and through them is where I met Farrhi. He saw my... potential and it all went from there."
"Potential?" Piper asked, "What do you mean by that."
"I have a tendency to be hyper organized... he saw this and knew it would benefit him."
"Do... you... do any of that stuff?"
"Heroin?"
Piper nodded.
"No, I mean on occasion I do the fun stuff but I don't mess with that stuff; I stick to transporting it."
"Fun stuff?' Piper asked.
"Yeah, pot, X" She said.
Piper just nodded.
"So what do you do... exactly." Piper asked.
"I am in charge of all the operations, I make sure all the runs go well, I find the girls to make the run possible, organize the drops and pickups, make sure everything gets to and from their destination okay..."
"And Raleigh is a destination?"
"Its a stopping point on the way to the destination and only for the money like I said, no drugs on your property honest." Alex told her.
"Why are you being so honest with me about all this?"
"I trust you" Alex said.
"You don't even... know me."
"There is just... something about you" Alex shrugged, "I don't know, but I have good instincts and I know I trust you."
"Well that is good and just so you know, your secret is safe with me."
"I know" she smiled.
"So, where will you go after this?"
"Bali for a couple of weeks, then back home for a while."
"Excuse me, did you just say Bali?" Piper asked.
Alex nodded, "Yes, part of the reason I love this job, it takes me all over the world... I never know where I am going to get to go next, its exciting."
"Doesn't the lack of structure drive you crazy?"
"Piper when you are in Bali one day, and then on the beaches of Tahiti the next... you don't complain."
"And where is home?" Piper asked.
"New York" Alex said.
Piper nodded, "Do you like it, your job?"
"I love it, It gives me such a rush when I complete a run; not to mention I am actually really fucking good at it." Alex smiled.
"Does your family know what you do?" Piper asked.
"Its really just my mom and I, I am an only child, but yes she does."
"And she is... Okay with it?"
"Of course not, but she has never been one to tell me what to do with my adult life."
"What made you tell me?" Piper asked.
"I don't know... there is just something about you." She shrugged.
She smiled, "So where are we going?"
"I told you a little place in Wilmington."
"I know that, but what exactly is this little place in Wilmington?"
"You will see."
"Come on, tell me."
"You are not good with the unknown are you." Alex asked.
"No, not really" Piper smiled.
"Well you will find out eventually, in the meantime tell me more about you."
"What do you want to know?"
"Do you do anything besides work at the kennel?" Alex asked.
"I used to teach school full time, second grade but haven't in almost a year."
"Why not?"
"Grams had a stoke a little over a year ago... It wasn't major but I didn't feel right leaving her alone, even after. Especially with the kennel and all; so I left that job to run the kennel though I still sub every now and then." She shrugged.
"I am sorry to hear about Ellie, I am glad it was nothing serious. Do you miss it teaching?"
"I do, a lot. Grams wants me to go back, but I just don't feel right about it."
"Understood, but maybe you should at least think about it..."
"Maybe" Piper said.
They pulled up to a restaurant called The Bridge Tender it was a quaint little beach restaurant. "Seriously?"
"What?" Alex asked, "No?"
"No, yes! I love this place."
"You have been here?" Alex said almost defeated.
"I think you forget that I was born and raised in North Carolina" She laughed.
"But this is good?"
"Are you kidding me this is great, I haven't been here in ages... Can we sit outside?"
"That was the plan; its a gorgeous summer night" she smiled.
"That it is." Piper said.
/
They got seated and ordered drinks and dinner, "You wanna walk on the beach after this?" Piper asked.
"Sure can, we can do whatever you want to."
Piper smirked, "That's a loaded statement Alex Vause."
"And I'm okay with that" Alex winked.
After they ate they headed down to the beach, "Its been so long since I have felt my toes in the sand." Piper said holding her shoes in her hand.
"Not me, I was in the Caribbean last week" Alex smiled.
"Well why don't you brag about it" Piper joked.
Alex grabbed her hand, "Tell me something about you know one knows."
"I don't know" Piper shrugged.
"What do you mean, of course you do."
"Hmm," Piper paused for a second "Okay, um.. the last month or so of our relationship Keith got... abusive."
"He hit you?" Alex asked.
Piper didn't say anything she just nodded.
"I am sorry he had NO right to do that... how often did it happen?"
"Like three times" She shrugged.
"But you still let Ben go with him?"
"He would never hurt Ben, ever I know that. He is a good Dad... I mean he can be a little, harsh sometimes but nothing abusive by any sense of the word, Ben really does adore him."
"Well That's good, seriously though what an ass."
"I will not disagree with you there." She laughed."What about you, what is something no one knows about you?" Piper asked.
"That I like you" She smiled.
"What?" Piper asked taken a back. "I like you too but that is a cop-out come on, seriously."
"Okay, um... I have done Heroin. I didn't lie to you, I don't do it... but it did happen once. The good news is I don't really love it, and now I have seen it fuck up so many peoples lives, I wouldn't want to ever do it again... but I did and no one knows that."
Piper nodded still digesting it, "What was it like?"
"To be honest it was... gross. My body just my have taken it differently than most, but I didn't enjoy the feeling."
"Okay" Piper said "Well That's good."
They stopped and sat down on the sand, and just watched the ocean. I don't know that I can do this with out... feelings. Piper thought to herself.
"Its nice here" Alex said.
"I love it down here at the beach, I need to bring Benjamin down here soon he keeps asking when we can go."
"We should come down during the day with him."
"What?" Piper asked sorda taken a back by that statement.
"Yeah, ya know... ice chest, towels, bathing suits, the whole thing... make a day of it."
"You surprise me Alex..." Piper smiled.
"Why?" Alex asked.
"I just... nothing." Piper nodded, "Sounds like fun... Ben would love it."
"Then we definitely will, I mean unless you don't want me to be around him like that, I know we said nothing serious so..."
"No I would love it too." She smiled.
She looked down at their hands intertwined, she wondered how she was going to be able to let her go at the end of the two months... she already felt so inevitable to her. But why? What was it about her, she thought, everything should scream red flag, One. drug business, Two. Erratic lifestyle that is no environment for Ben, Three. Doesn't even live here.
"Do you really like me?" She asked.
"What?"
"You said before, you liked me... do you really like me?" Piper asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Well then..." Piper stopped abruptly.
"What?" Alex pressed for more.
"Nothing" She shook her head, "I like you too."
Alex pulled her close and kissed her, Piper felt goose bumps form all over her body. She couldn't believe how incredible it felt to kiss this woman.
"Do you have to go home tonight?"
Piper shook her head "No."
"Do you want to stay here?" Alex asked.
"Yes" She smiled, "I just need to text Logan and see if her can go run the dogs in the morning... hold on" She kissed her and pulled out her cell.
Piper: Hey, can you possibly go to the kennel in the AM to run and feed the dogs? I would owe you!
"Should you call Ellie?" Alex asked.
"Yeah probably, where are we going to stay?"
"Hold on"
Alex pulled out her phone and made a call...
"Hello, hey I am in Wilmington I need a hotel room..." Pause. "uh huh, okay perfect thanks." She hung up the phone, "Okay we are good."
"Seriously" Piper asked in awe "You can do that, just... make a call?"
"yeah I have a guy" Alex said nonchalantly.
"You have a guy!?"
"yeah, no big deal... come on lets walk to the car while you call Ellie."
"Okay" Pipers phone buzzed.
Logan: No problem, I got you covered.
"Okay, Logan is going to go to the kennel in the morning, so I am good."
"Okay, just call Ellie, I don't want her to worry about you" Alex said. "I am going to get a bad rep with her for keeping you out two nights in a row with out letting her know."
"Okay I will" She dialed her home.
"Hello" Ellie answered.
"Hi Grams, I am not going to be home until tomorrow alright?"
"Uh huh, no problem."
"Listen Grandma Logan will be by around 7:45 to do the dogs, PLEASE do not try to do it, okay?" She said.
"Yes Piper, have a good time tell Alex I said Hello."
"Okay grams, love you."
"Love you Piper."
She hung up the phone, "All set?" Alex asked.
"All set" Piper smiled "My Grandma says Hi." Alex smiled and opened the door for her, "She definitely knows something is going on between us."
A/N: I am glad you are liking this story thus far, let me know what you think... Your reviews are awesome and keep me motivated!
