"So tell me again what they said." Larry watched as Piper paced the kitchen. She had arrived home from Barney's an hour ago and he hadn't got a clear recount of the meeting yet as she was to hyped up to make any sense.

"They like us. At least the junior sales rep they shoved on us did. But it was a waste of time." Piper began pacing again. "They want huge amounts of stock. We could not even meet the first order it would cost too much. All that work… what a fucking waste!"

"Piper calm down." Larry sighed, knowing she was not even listening to him as she began slamming about in the cupboards "What are you looking for?"

"Vodka! I need a drink."

"Its 11am!" Larry frowned.

"You are not my mother! I need a fucking drink Larry."

"Look," Larry softened his tone as he tried to both distract and soothe her. "Why don't you go to the bank. Ask them to invest in you and Polly. You would have to do it at some point, so why not now. Then when you have backing go back. But make sure you see someone senior. Go in with a proper plan."

Piper looked at Larry. This is exactly what Polly had said. Polly who had been so calm and accepting of the news. Why couldn't they see it would mean waiting months to get to the point they would see their stock on shelves. More months of her life wasting.

"Polly we are meant to be in this together." Piper frowned as she heard the excuse of her friend the following week. "How is this a joint venture if I am the only one perusing it?"

"Because Piper," Polly groaned "me going with you then up chucking all over the bank manager would, I think, give a negative impression! Look you can do this. We have been over and over the projections. You know the product inside out. We have the initial proposal from Barney's. You can do this. Just ring me when you are done OK. It will be fine."

Piper knew she had no choice. She had pushed Polly to take the earliest appointment the bank would give them and she certainly didn't want to cancel. Now she just need to find something suitable to wear.

An hour later she left the apartment. Her hair, slightly curled, fell in gentle waves to her shoulders. She had teamed a dark navy business suit, with heels and smart blouse. She desperately needed to be taken seriously today, so a couple of inches extra height, curtsey of the heels, and a no nonsense appearance seemed the way forward.

On entering the bank Piper booked in at reception and took her seat. She was not waiting more than 5 minutes before a very young looking woman approached.

"Ms Chapman? Mr Healy will see you now."

Standing, straightening her skirt, Piper followed the girl to the office of the new businesses manager. She was relieved to see Sam Healy was older than 20, his welcoming smiled calmed her nerves a little more as she shook his hand and took a seat.

"So Miss Chapman, I was expecting 2 of you this morning."

"Yes I am so sorry about that," Piper smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way not the kill batman smile it felt like. "My partner, Polly, has unfortunately come down with a sickness bug, but we are so keen to proceed and I am more than capable of presenting out proposal…"

"Oh I'm sure you are." Sam Healy smiled at the young blonde woman before him. When he had read 2 single women were coming in to discuss making soap he had expected elderly or at least middle aged women. The petite blonde before him was a most welcome surprise. "Now tell me what exactly is PoPi."

So Piper spent the next 30 minutes outlining the aims of the company and the offer made to them by Barney's.

"You say," Healy asked, reading the notes he had taken and needing clarification, "that you were seen by a Miss Valduto?"

"Yes. She said we were her first client." Piper frowned "I got the impression she was going by the rule book to the letter."

Healy nodded. "I have contacts in the store. At first glance your figures look promising." Healy smiled in a leering fashion at Piper, who chose to ignore the look in favour of the positive words, "let me go over them and I will get back to you. Maybe I can help, set up a meeting maybe with someone more senior in their team."

"That would be excellent!" Piper knew she was grinning and standing quickly to offer her hand before he had a chance to change his mind Piper thanked him once more and left.

"Polly, I think we did it! Look he needs to go over the figures but he said he can set us up with someone more senior at Barney's, so maybe it will be OK after all."

"I told you!" Polly smiled.

"You look crap!" Piper looked at her friend properly for the first time.

"Yeah I feel it. Look Piper I don't want to kick you out when you have done so well for us today, but why don't you go celebrate today with Larry, I know he is anxious he has called here 3 times already. Then when we hear back from the bank we will go celebrate properly."

"Just the 2 of us?" Piper asked hopefully.

"If you want, sure." Polly frowned a little in concern but didn't question it.

"Deal." Piper grinned. "Feel better." She waved as she skipped out of the room.

Larry rolled off Piper panting. "God you are so sexy!" he groaned.

Piper smiled automatically and got out of bed, "I am going to take a shower then call Polly to see how she is."

Making her escape to the bathroom Piper sighed. Larry had been so happy for her, so excited. He had cooked, bought some very expensive wine, then led her to bed. It wasn't that she wasn't attracted to him, she was. She couldn't actually explain what was wrong, only that lately whenever they had sex it felt like a chore. He tried so very hard.

Tonight she had ended up faking an orgasm just to get him to hurry up. Now as she stepped under the steaming hot water she felt both frustrated and sad. What was wrong with her? She needed to get over herself quick. They had arranged to see her parents this weekend and she knew her mothers eagle eye would spot even the slightest blip.

"So it was not a planned proposal?" Carol Chapman frowned as she looked from her daughter to her future son-in-law, a frown on her face.

"No." Larry grinned. "I was swept away in the moment and could not resist."

"You were drunk!" Carol sighed. "Where you drinking?"

"Well we were in a bar yes," Larry hesitated. "But that's not why I proposed. I love your daughter. I want to marry her have kids with her, grow old with her…."

"Mum," Piper cut Larry off, "I thought you would be happy for us. You are always asking when Larry was going to make an honest woman of me and now he is!"

"Yes that may well be but I had hoped he wouldn't need to be drunk to do it!"

"For gods sake..." Piper muttered. Turning to her father she said. "Daddy?"

"I am happy for you honey!" Kissing his daughter then shaking Larry by the hand he said "in fact it calls for a toast."

By the time she walked back to the car with Larry 4 hours later piper felt exhausted.

"Why is everything I do a disappointment?" She asked genuinely confused as to how both her engagement and subsequent announcement her business was getting financial backing had both been met by her mother with nothing but scorn.

"They just want the best for you." Larry smiled.

"Your mom and dad were happy." Piper whined. "In fact your dad offered free legal advise for the business. My dad just asked why I couldn't work and save rather than get a loan."

"You will prove them wrong Piper." Larry quipped dismissively. He had been rather relieved carol hadn't launched into full on wedding planning mode. "Look why don't we go home and grab a take away, a bottle of wine and have an early night."

Piper tried to smile. "Oh, I arranged to meet Polly." She shrugged. "Maybe next weekend?"

"I thought you had arranged to see Polly next weekend."

"Yes well that's only if Barney's agree our proposal." Piper tried to make it sound unlikely. "What about if we ask Pete to join us too for a drink next Saturday."

"Sure," Larry shrugged. "You want me to drop you at Polly's?"

"Yes please Hun."

Piper quickly shot a text to Polly warning her of her imminent arrival. Then giving Larry a quick kiss on the cheek as he stopped outside Polly's apartment she jumped out shouting "don't wait up!"

"So now we celebrate!" Polly grinned as she hugged Piper. Both dressed to impress the bank they had contained their excitement at hearing Healy's positive verdict and confirmation he would arrange a new meeting at Barney's for them until leaving. Now, hugging, laughing and jumping up and down they couldn't contain themselves.

"Where shall we go?" Piper grinned. "There is a bar just across the road?"

"OK, well that's as good a place to start as any." Polly grinned.

A few drinks later both the women were more than ready to move onto somewhere more lively.

"Lets go to the bar from the other night." Polly grinned. "You can relive your engagement."

"Hardly!" Piper sniggered, "I would need Larry there for a start and I have had enough of his vision of my life for one day. You know he practically has the names of our kids picked out and the schools they will go too!"

Polly laughed. "He is excited Piper, its cute."

"He is worse than a girl! I don't even want to think about it tonight. Lets go drink, dance and pretend we are single!"

"Not all of us want to be single." Polly muttered as she followed Piper into the bar.

Once inside Piper grinned. It was as busy as it had been on their previous visit. The music was loud, the dance floor crowded and pushing her way to the bar she was gratified to see various pairs of admiring eyes follow her.

"We are hardly dressed for this place." Polly muttered.

"Polly half the people here have come from the office, the other half look like they have just got off their Harley's! It doesn't matter what we look like. We are two girls out for some fun."

"That's good to hear." A male voice sounded behind Piper. "Can I buy you ladies a drink?"

Piper looked at the moustachio'd man leering a them and shook her head. Linking her arm through Polly's she grinned. "No thanks I am here with my girlfriend."

"For gods sake Piper!" Polly groaned, disentangling herself. "What is wrong with you?"

Piper laughed as she watched Polly pull away. "Am I that repulsive?" she grinned.

"Just stop OK. I don't know what is wrong with you lately. Larry is so nice to you, he is gorgeous, he has a promising career ahead of him, yet if what he is telling Pete is true you treat him like shit and only have sex once a week if he begs!"

"Jesus, he told Pete that?"

"Yes. He said he was getting blue balls and that even when you do it it is over in minutes."

Piper sniggered. "That's hardly my fault!" Then added more seriously, "I don't know what's wrong OK. It is like he gets one article published and it means he is ready to settle down for life. We used to talk about travelling and holidays, now he talks about house prices and mortgages."

"He loves you and wants to spend his life with you. You should be flattered."

"Why? Why should I give up my hopes and dreams because he is ready. Look I am not saying it wont happen, I just feel we are rushing. I want to have fun, I want my business to work. I want to enjoy that before I think about changing diapers and which schools are best." Looking round Piper continued. "Look at them," she nodded towards a group of women dancing. "They were here last time we came. They are just out having fun. What's wrong with that?"

"There is nothing wrong with it Piper; but there is nothing wrong with what Larry wants either. You need to talk to him."

"If I told him what I told you he would say I was overreacting. That I needed to grow up."

"Maybe he has a point."

"So do they need to grow up?" Piper was still watching the women.

"Why are you so obsessed with them?"

"I'm not obsessed; I just feel I am missing out. Look ignore me OK. Lets drink, dance then I will go home and play the dutiful wife-to -be."

A few hours late Piper felt calmer. She had had fun. Getting her thoughts off her chest had helped, but so had the wine and dancing. Now as she returned to the table they had started at she smiled. "One more drink then home?" she asked Polly.

As her friend nodded Piper turned and made her way to the bar. She had just placed the order when the person next to her spoke. "You look happier tonight."

"Excuse me?" Piper looked at the tall, dark haired woman beside her.

"You were here a few weeks ago. You looked miserable. Tonight you look like you and your friend had fun. It was nice to see."

Piper stared in shocked silence for a few seconds not replying. Then the woman shrugged before turning and walking away. Taking the drinks back to Polly, Piper said "some woman just said I looked happier tonight."

"What woman?" Polly frowned.

Piper looked around. "I don't know. I cant see her. She said she saw us last time we were here and I looked miserable. Her voice was familiar..." Piper said slowly. "She was in the bathroom that night!"

Poly giggled "The one who said you had 'shit for brains'?"

Piper nodded, now looking round more frantically so she could confront the woman.

"She was tall." she muttered. "Black hair, green eyes and a voice that was…" she stopped talking suddenly and shook her head as if clearing her thoughts. Ignoring the drinks she had just bought she looked at Polly, "Come on lets go home."

Maybe it was the drink that was disturbing her sleep, or loud music before bed.

Piper had once again woken with a start. Tonight though the dream had been much more specific and very vivid. She had been dancing with a very tall, dark haired woman. Her eyes, so green and sparkling, laughing at her as her deep sexy voice had said, "See, you don't need a man and marriage to have fun!"

Waking with a jolt Piper knew here racing heart and flushed cheeks were due to the dream. What disturbed her was how the sound of that voice and those eyes had been so vivid. Next time she went out, Piper resolved, she would not drink so much.

A/N What can I say other than "Thank you!" for all the lovely comments, messages, reviews, follows and alerts. I am truly grateful if very shocked. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint.

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