Thank you, Amy, for beta'ing! Author's note-It's settled. Lorna is actually 24 in the story, not 29 like I said earlier (so i changed that in the first chapter) Yael Stone (and Lorna)? yeah, way too cute and tiny to be almost 30-she could pass for a child (age 16) ;) hehe

Nicky Reznikov loves girls, but there isn't ever anyone who really captures her heart. She finds a ton of girls attractive, sure, but she doesn't open up to just anybody, except for her friends and her mom of course. She has sex, but it's meaningless. She's never had a real kiss before. There was this one girl, though, who had called her about a broken light that needed fixing, and now Nicky can't stop thinking about her.

She looked like she'd stepped out of the forties, and her Brooklyn accent was to die for. The cute girl stayed out of Nicky's way as she worked, but Nicky had seen enough of her to notice that she was a total babe. Her cherry red lips looked like they were begging to be kissed, and Nicky fantasizes about making love to her almost every night. She hopes there are more things she needs to fix in that girl's apartment, because the first and only time so far that she'd been there, she couldn't say anything else besides an awkward hello, goodbye, and a response whenever the girl spoke to her. She even forgot that electricians were supposed to tell their clients to have a nice day or some shit like that. The chick had to say it instead, and Nicky was glad her wild frizzy blonde hair was hiding her blushing cheeks.

That all happened a week ago, and she's still smitten. Her big sister, Boo, loves to tease her about it. She even gave Nicky a screwdriver and a wink when the blonde had come home in a dreamlike trance. "Think about your woman while you use that, eh?" she'd said.

"Yeah, yeah."

Nicky got her job as an electrician very recently, so she hasn't yet made enough money to get her own place. She was desperate and decided to try running a mail scam unbeknownst to her family and her best friend, Alex Vause. Red would have her head if she knew. It's just so easy and addicting. She knows she has to stop, but she can't. She makes up this rich cousin she's got in some other part of the world who sends her nice things all the time and gives her money because she's in need of a place to live. She's almost got enough.

Now, she's at a funeral service for Alex's mother. She comforts Alex during the cab ride to a lesbian bar they go to. Alex is crying about how her ex-girlfriend wasn't even there for her when she'd received the sad news of her mother's death. She takes off her glasses and lays her head in Nicky's lap as Nicky strokes her raven locks.

Nicky scoffs. "Fuck Piper, you know?"

"I don't want to." Alex sniffles.

"Yeah, I know, she's a dipshit. Luckily, we're about to dance and drink our worries away. We could even get high, what do you say?"

"Sure!"

She laughs in exhilaration as she dances with Alex and several other ladies while downing shot after shot of hard liquor. The cab drops Alex off at her apartment after she and Nicky hug. Nicky's head is pounding from all the alcohol, and she drinks tons of water so she won't get a wicked hangover the next morning. She's super tired and drops into bed as soon as she gets to Red's. Her adoptive mother and Boo are already sleeping, so she doesn't make a peep. She's always been so grateful for them because they provided her a home when her childhood had been hell.

On the day before school starts for every middle school student, it rains hard. Twelve-year-old Nicky Nichols is sent to Dmitri's Russian Market and Bake Shop to get her mother a treat as a thanks to her enrolling her daughter into her school. She gives the young girl exactly five dollars to buy one huge nutty donut. Nicky walks in the rain with money in hand. Her wet blonde hair sticks to her cheeks and she's soaked to the skin. She pulls open the door and walks inside shyly.

"Oh, you're sopping!" a woman with long, red hair exclaims in a thick Russian accent. Her voice seems to soften as she gets a better look at Nicky. "I'm sorry, dear, did you walk here? Where is your mother?"

Nicky stares at the woman behind the counter and tugs at her black shirt. Since when was it 'be nice to Nicky day'? "Oh...um, yes I did, ma'am. She's…just in the car."

"Hey. It's Red to you. Ma'am is for strict, uptight women. I'm also very informal."

"So I'm not in trouble?" Nicky's always in trouble.

"No, you're not. What would you like? I have everything."

"Oh...one nutty donut, please. For my ma." She stares wistfully at a chocolate cupcake and sighs. If only...

Red puts the donut in a bag. "That will be five dollars."

Nicky gives Red the cash, takes the bag, and turns to go.

"Muffins?" a young woman with cropped hair asks while holding out a tray. "They're fresh from the oven, and you're a new customer."

Nicky spun around. "Oh, no, thank you. Hey...cool tattoos."

"Thanks, son. I'm Boo."

"And I'm Nicky..." She raises her eyebrows, confused. "I'm not anyone's son."

The lady lifts her shoulders up and down. "It's like calling somebody dude. It means I like you, kiddo."

"I've probably gotta get going..."

The women smile warmly at her. She frowns and her stomach growls.

"Nicky, do you want anything?" Red asks. She must notice that Nicky's clothes are much too big for her tiny frame. The look she gives the girl suggests that she thinks something's up.

"Yeah, but I don't have the money."

"Have you eaten today?" Boo wonders aloud.

"Yeah...I've eaten..."

"What's your favorite dessert?" Red asks.

"Chocolate cupcakes," Nicky says without thinking.

"Coming right up," Boo replies. She takes out a chocolate cupcake with pink frosting and Red ushers Nicky to the back room.

"What are you doing? I..."

"It's on the house," Red whispers.

"You'll get fired."

"I'm the manager," Red insists.

"Fine...just this once. I'll pay you back."

"I made them myself. Enjoy!" Red says cheerfully.

Nicky slowly bites into the treat. "Mmm!" she exclaims with delight. When it's gone, she licks her lips and looks at the floor. She wants to ask for more, but she knows it would be rude.

"Ummm...thanks...bye," she says awkwardly and rushes out of the store.

She's awoken by Red shaking her and Boo shouting, "Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" while opening her curtain to reveal harsh light.

Nicky groans out loud. "Oh, fuck you! I'm tired."

"No, come on, kid, you know better than to go clubbing on weeknights." Red mutters something in Russian and shakes her head after scolding Nicky.

"Ma, I was with Alex and trying to cheer her up. I'm sorry that I stayed out too late. Jesus Christ, I'm fuckin' twenty-five years old and I'm still living off Red."

"Yeah, you need a life," Boo says through a few chortles.

Nicky gives her the finger. "Speak for yourself!"

"Hush, my adult daughters!" Red commands them. "We'll make ourselves breakfasts and then it's off to my restaurant we go!"

Once they eat breakfast, Nicky puts on her white uniform and a pair of shoes. She combs her hair, swipes a line of black over her eyes and brushes her lashes with mascara. She applies a small amount of very light pink lip gloss, and then she's ready to go.

Nicky makes a quick stop to pick up her many orders at the post office. She's struggling to carry them, and she finally just drops them on the counter.

"You sure are buying a whole lot of stuff! That's like, all my Dolce and Gabbana merchandise."

Nicky turns around to face the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen. It was the same one whose light she repaired. "I...I didn't get this from you. I spoke to an old man who was grumpy and kind of rude."

The girl wrinkles her nose. "That would have to be my manager. I'm his daughter, and I help him run the store."

She'd been scamming the poor girl, and now she feels so guilty. "Damn it!"

"What?"

"Fuck, did I just say that out loud? Shit, sorry, sometimes my thoughts just come out of my mouth like puke. Forget it, hon. Keep the change. In fact, you know what? I don't need the clothes, just a full refund, alright? I can't even hold all this. I don't know what I'm doing."

"Okay," the smaller girl says with a look of confusion still written all over her face.

Nicky rushes to her car and starts the engine. She doesn't even check to see if the other girl's still there because she tears out of the parking lot with her heart in a frenzy. If that isn't a wake-up call, she doesn't know what is.

During her shift at Red's restaurant, she feels very distracted, and it shows. No matter how much she fans herself, she keeps breaking out into a sweat. Red pulls her aside. "What's wrong with you, huh? People are complaining, and I can't have that! They're saying they wanna go to Flaritza's taco slash pizza place and stop coming here! It may be for good, and then we lose money! " Nicky knows that Red would be yelling at the top of her lungs if they were at home. She's making wild hand gestures, and then she's squeezing Nicky's shoulders while looking her straight in the eyes. "We cannot afford that!"

She bites her lip. "Sorry, Ma...I'm just...out of it today. I keep fucking up the orders. I-it's the hot weather."

"This place is overly air conditioned, so don't give me that bull. It's her, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Ah, don't play dumb with me, sweetheart. I am your mother as much as I would be if you came out of my womb, and I know you too well. What's her name?"

Nicky rolls her eyes and groans. "I haven't a clue! I only saw her twice...once when I repaired her light, and a second time...walking down the street. I got no idea when I'll see her again. I'm nervous about this one...I really like her, Ma. I mean...she's gorgeous...and she seems sweet. I wanna get to know her...be her friend first. She doesn't rattle on like Brook Soso, and she's not easy like most of the girls I've been with."

"Okay. I'm gonna get you a Pirozhki. When you find the girl, give it to her and bring her here. Food is always a great way to start a conversation...and it's not only the way to a man's heart, it is to a woman's, as well. Just relax...take a deep breath. Pretend she's...Boo."

Nicky laughs. "She ain't Boo, she's the exact opposite of Boo. She's a fuckin' girly girl, wearin' eyeliner and the same kind of lipstick you always put on. Also, her voice...it, like, captivated me, I swear. Sorry, I'm gushing like a goddamn schoolgirl..."

"We all have someone we let down our tough exterior for. Alright, then, how about...Daya...Pennsatucky...or Taystee?"

"Yeah...personality wise, sure. I can do that. Thanks, Ma."

"I'll have Norma take over your shift. Your eyes are still glazed over, and I don't need any more angry customers." Red smiles, pats Nicky's cheek, and hands her the stuffed bun. "Good luck, my girl."

"Thank you...again." Nicky hands the mute older lady her apron. "What?" she asks when Norma nudges her with a huge grin. She gives Nicky a thumbs up.

She doesn't know where to start searching, so she just drives aimlessly around the city. Just when she's about to give up, a taxi stops next to her car at the light. She gasps in surprise when she sees the driver. This time, she's got sunglasses atop her head. "Holy shittin' Mary, Mother of God." When it's time for them to go, she follows the taxi, but not so closely that the girl will notice. Another car is tailing behind Nicky, and the horn honks.

"You fucker!" she shouts as it swerves into the next lane and nearly misses her passenger door. It manages to squeeze right between her car and the taxi. "Ah, you asshole, ya cut me off!" Nicky has to slow way down if she doesn't want to bump into it and get into an accident. The taxi suddenly stops at the curb, and the petite girl steps out. The car speeds away. She stops her own car on the side of the road to inspect the paint job. Thankfully, it's not ruined at all. That idiot just gave her a little scare. Her heart is still pounding loudly in her chest.

"Moron!" the girl screams at the traffic.

"Yeah, he almost got me too," Nicky hears herself respond.

The girl turns around and looks at Nicky, and anger flashes in her brown eyes. "Were you stalking me?"

"No, honestly, I wasn't!" Nicky says sharply. She'd never dream of it. "I felt like I was being tracked. I needed to get as far away from him as possible."

"Oh...sorry for accusing you. I've just been...off...lately. My adrenaline's pumping away! Everyone's suspicious these days, ya know?"

"Yeah, I do. Hey, am I holding you up? Do you need to get somebody?"

"No, I'm free for the next hour or so."

Nicky extends her hand for the girl to shake. "I'm Nicky Reznikov."

"Lorna Morello," the girl says right away. Up close, she really is a pipsqueak. Nicky has a few inches on her. Lorna's hand feels so nice in Nicky's, and she loves the way Lorna's full name rolls off her tongue.

"Lorna...would you like a pirozhki? It's Ma's specialty...from her...our...restaurant. It's like a meat pie...it's Russian, as you may have already assumed, but-"

"I could try it, thanks!"

"It's in my car. How about I grab it for you and you eat it on the way? I'll lead you there. The food's delicious."

"Yeah, yeah, sure thing! Hold on, isn't it near Flaritza's Mexitalian place? That's where I always go!"

"I think so, but Red always worries that it's ruining her business. I love her, but she can be paranoid. I can't believe they make two different kinds of food there! That is cool. I mean, it's possible to eat at two different places...switch around."

"Who's Red?" Lorna asks as Nicky hands her the pirozhki.

Your future mother in law, Nicky thinks. "We better get going before a cop asks if we've paid the parking meters. I'll save the story for when we get there, alright?"

"That sounds fine to me."

Thank you for reading and reviewing: Boris Yeltsin, Crystal, Q, SuperFinnis, nickynicholslornamorello, splishsplosh26, and timidyetinterpid!