Authors Note: I was so happy to receive such a massive response for this story in less than twenty four hours, so happy that I decided to upload the second chapter much quicker than I had originally intended. I can't believe that so many people have started following this story already and I'm really grateful for all the reviews that I've gotten so far for the first chapter. It's a response like this that makes a writer want to keep writing, and I thank you all for the kind words and encouragement. (Though, I am disappointed that so many of you haven't seen the movie Fight Club. Shame on you!)
Also, as I warned you in the first chapter, there will be a lot of violence in this story and some (probably a lot) of you will not like it. I'm warning you again now because some of that violence is in this very chapter, though not much, so don't send me hate after reading it, because you were warned.
Enjoy!
Fight Club
Chapter Two
You dial Alex's number, wondering what the fuck you're doing as you bring the phone up to your ear, waiting for it to ring. You barely know this Alex person; she's just a woman that you sat next to for one short plane ride. She's also a woman who apparently imports heroin on occasion for international drug cartels, and who sneakily puts business cards in your pocket, so why the fuck are you calling her? You don't get much time to think about it, because barely get half way through the first ring, the line is picked up, surprising you because it's almost eleven thirty at night and you really didn't expect her to answer, at least, not so quickly.
"Alex Vause." The husky voice that you remember from the plane is tainted with static, but still sounds ridiculously sexy. You pause at that thought, wondering when the fuck you ever thought Alex's voice was sexy, but you're pulled from the questions in your mind when Alex prompts a response. "Hello? Hello? God, is this Cara? Look, I told you-"
"It's not Cara," you finally manage to respond. "It's Piper."
"Piper?" Alex's voice sounds thoroughly confused as she repeats your name, but it's barely a second before she recovers. "Oh, fancy pants, right. What can I do for you, Pipes?"
"I don't know, actually," you answer, frowning as you glance down at the suitcase by your side. "I'm not entirely sure why I'm calling you."
"Okay," Alex says slowly, dragging the word out, which is laced heavily with confusion. "Well, do you want to go for a drink or something? Maybe you'll figure out why you called with some alcohol in your system."
"It's almost midnight." You say, stupidly, feeling like an idiot when you hear Alex snort with amusement.
"So?" Alex chuckles through the line. "Live a little, miss pant suit. There's a really cool place not far from where I live. Meet me there? I'll text you the address."
You find yourself nodding, even though Alex can't see you, and the line goes dead barely a second later, before you even have a chance to reply. You phone almost immediately lights up with a text message from an unknown number, with the address of what you assume is a bar called Red's. You have no idea what the fuck you're doing, but it's not like you have too many options right now, so you decide to meet Alex for a drink. You pull you suitcase down the stairs and call a cab, which takes you to the other side of town and you end up finding yourself outside of a bar which doesn't look as cool as Alex made it out to seem.
It's a bit run down, but the inside is comfortable and spotless, with freshly mopped floors and clean tables, covered in coasters. It's dimly lit and there aren't many people inside, and you make out Alex almost immediately, sitting in a booth with a pint of beer. You head over to her table, pulling your luggage behind you and you can't help but smile when Alex notices you, her face lighting up with a grin.
"What the fuck is that?" She asks almost immediately, pointing at your suitcase, before you've even had a chance to sit down. "Did you even go home? Or have you just been hanging around the airport, waiting to call me because you can't get the thought of my very talented hands out of your head?"
"Shut up," you respond tiredly, slumping down into the seat across from the dark haired woman. "You won't even believe what I've been through in the past few hours."
Alex looks genuinely concerned at your dejected expression and you smile slightly when she pushes her beer towards you without another word, nodding your head in thanks as you take a sip. Alex raises her hand to the bartender for another beer, her eyes never leaving you as she commands. "Spill."
And so you tell her about Larry and Polly, watching as her expression changes from one of concern to surprise, which evolves quickly into disgust and then finally, anger, all in a short amount of time. You don't know why you are spilling your heart out to this complete stranger, but Alex has a way of making you feel comfortable and the words just pour out of you as she watches you with a sympathetic expression. She shakes her head when you finally finish, taking a large gulp of her beer before fixing you with a serious look. "Fuck him."
"Fuck him," you agree with a mixture of anger and sadness. "And fuck her, too."
"Fuck them all," Alex declares with a heavy sigh, her green eyes watching you intently from behind her thick rimmed glasses. "So, what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know," you answer, leaning back in your seat as you contemplate your choices. "I mean, I guess I have to find a hotel and then start looking for a new place, right? I mean, I don't think I could go back there, even if I wanted to."
You trail off, wondering what the fuck you're going to do as you swirl the last bit of beer around in your glass. You're surprised when Alex scoffs quietly in disbelief, glancing up to find her watching you with an expression of both amusement and exasperation.
"Seriously, Pipes?" She asks, raising her perfectly sculpted eyebrow as she crosses her toned arms over her chest. "Just fucking ask already."
"Ask what?" You question, your brows furrowed deeply.
"Ask if you can stay with me," Alex says bluntly, fixing you with a frustrated stare. "Ask so that I can say yes, and then maybe we can grab a few shots before heading home."
"W-what?" You splutter, shaking your head in disbelief. "Wh- I wasn't even- I wasn't going to ask if I could stay with you!"
"Then why did you call?" Alex pressed, her eyes intense as she watched you, making you feel more than a little uncomfortable.
"I- I don't know," you responded uneasily. "I mean, I just thought- wait, did you say yes?"
"Well, me saying yes kind of depends on whether or not you're going to ask me a certain question, so…" Alex trailed off, resting her chin on her fist as she watched you patiently. You had no idea what the fuck you were doing, but suddenly, the words were coming out of your mouth before you could stop yourself.
"Well, could I stay with you then?" You asked hesitantly, feeling relieved when Alex's lips parted in a smile. "I mean, just until I find my own place, of course."
"Of course," Alex nodded slowly, her words slightly mocking, before she suddenly slammed her palms down on the table, causing you to jump in surprise. "Well, now that this is settled, let's get something a little stronger, yeah?"
All you could do was nod, watching as Alex stood up from the table, her hips swaying seductively as she walked towards the bar and began to order what sounded like tequila shots. You shook your head as you watched the bartender put six shot glasses down on a tray, filling them to the brim with the yellow liquid, silently wondering what the fuck you had just gotten yourself into.
/
You're drunk.
You're so fucking drunk and you're pretty sure that you've never been this intoxicated before in your life. You're stumbling down a dark, deserted street, with flickering lampposts and old factories with a complete stranger walking beside you and it should have been terrifying but it wasn't, because you were so damn drunk. It also helps that your companion is currently less intimidating in all her black leather, combat booted glory because she is also very, very drunk. You're also starting to find that Alex is very funny and smart and a very good listener, because she's been listening to you ramble during the entire walk back to her house and she hasn't complained even once.
"I mean, seriously," you say, slurring your words so badly that what you're saying would be barely understandable to anyone who wasn't also drunk. "Who does that? I mean, who the fuck sleeps with their girlfriend's best friend? Polly is okay looking, but I'm a fucking catch! Larry doesn't even work, he just writes his boring stories and tries to get me to publish them, but they're so bad that I can't even take them to my boss! They're so bad."
Alex chuckles at your drunken ranting, nodding her head in agreement as she swings around a lamppost. "You're totally a catch, Pipes. Even with the pants suits, you're totally hot."
"Right?" You agree, nodding your head, not even noticing your companion who is currently eyeing your body in said pant suit. "I mean, I make good money and I pay for fucking everything and I go to the gym almost five times a week. It's not easy to maintain a body like this, you know? It's a lot of hard work."
"I bet," Alex murmurs, raising her eyebrow seductively as she looks at you, which you finally notice. You giggle, less nervously than you would have had you been sober, shaking your head at your friend's suggestive tone.
"Shut up," you laugh, finally taking a second to look around the street. "Where the fuck are we, by the way? Did you get us lost?"
"No," Alex responds before pointing towards the end of the street, which was barely visible due to the lack of light. "I live down there."
"Where?" You snort. "In a box? I don't think that there will be enough room for the two of us, Al."
"God, you're so judgemental," Alex replies with an exaggerated huff. "Were you like this with Barry?"
"Fuck you!" You respond loudly, feeling a sudden surge of anger at Alex's dig, clenching your hand tightly around the handle to your suitcase. Small spurts of anger are not uncommon in your life recently and you assume it's because of the lack of sleep, rather than some deep seated issue that is buried somewhere beneath your skin.
"Woah, so much anger, Pipes," Alex laughs, though not unkindly. "What do you do with it all? Beat it out on a punching bag during your little gym sessions?"
"Sometimes," you finally manage to respond, once you tamper down on your anger. "Hitting things makes me feel good. It's therapeutic."
You walk in silence for a few minutes, glancing occasionally at Alex who has a thoughtful expression on her beautiful face. You take the quiet time to study her and you find yourself envious of the way she holds her head so tall, walking with an air of casual confidence that you've never had. She's also beautiful in a completely effortless way, with her windblown dark hair and full, red lips, which you can't help but stare at as she wets them with her tongue. Alex is kind of everything that you're not; she's laid back and completely at ease with herself and you find yourself sudden craving for a bit of her confidence, for a bit of her 'fuck the world' attitude.
Sometimes you wish you didn't care so much.
You almost stumble on the footpath when the raven haired woman suddenly stops, pausing in the middle of the street and watching you curiously from beneath a flickering lamp. There's a flicker of something that you don't recognise in her green eyes, something a bit scary that sends a shiver down your spine, causing you to fidget on the spot as you return her gaze.
"What?" You ask her nervously, feeling slightly uneasy from the strange expression on the other woman's face. "Alex?"
"Hit me," Alex replies suddenly, completely out of the blue and you almost laugh because of course she had to be kidding, right? Complete strangers don't just ask other people to hit them for no reason, especially not women. But your laughter dies in your throat at the serious expression on your companion's face, as the woman continues to stare at you patiently.
"What?"
"Hit me," Alex repeats nonchalantly, shrugging off her leather jacket and letting it drop to the floor before beginning to bounce up and down on the spot. "I'm fucking serious, Piper. Hit me in the face."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" You ask shrilly, your blue eyes practically popping out of your skull as you stare at the older woman in disbelief. "Why the fuck would I hit you?"
"I don't know; because you're angry at Larry and because it's therapeutic?" Alex says, shrugging her shoulders as she motions for you to come closer. "So, come on, hit me in the face. I've never been punched before, it'll probably be a good life experience."
"Alex, I'm not going to hit you!" You are practically shouting now, your voice echoing off the deserted buildings that surround you. "Come on, let's just go home."
"Oh, come on, Piper!" Alex finally says, her voice bordering on frustration as she drops her arms to her sides. "For once in your life, stop being so conventional, would you? I bet you've never done anything bad before; I bet you were a daddy's girl, right? I bet you've never even skipped a class at school or done anything to get into trouble. Fuck, you're so boring, no wonder Larry cheated on you."
Whatever Alex was going to say next was lost, drowned out by the resounding slap as the palm of your hand met her smooth cheek, snapping her head to the side. Your eyes widen almost immediately in horror at what you have just done, since you have never been violent before, especially not with another person. It had all happened so fast, the sudden anger which had overwhelmed you at Alex's words, which had then dissipated almost immediately the second that your hand hit her face.
"Oh my god!" You cry, reaching for the dark haired woman with concern as she raised her hand to touch her lip, her green eyes wide behind her glasses. "Oh my god, Alex! I'm so fucking sorry. I can't believe I did that!"
"What the hell?" Alex mutters, rubbing her mouth as she looks up at you with wide, surprised eyes. "I told you to punch me in the face, not smack me in the mouth!"
"I'm sorry!" You apologize again, feeling like the biggest asshole in the world. "I can't belie-"
Your words are unexpectedly cut off as a hand connects sharply with the side of your face, causing your head to spin. The pain is so abrupt, it takes a moment for your instincts to kick in and then your fist is flying blindly towards Alex, connecting painfully with the side of her head.
"Ow!" The dark haired woman cries, hopping a few feet away from you as she rubs her now bright red ear. "Jesus Christ! Fuck, Piper!"
"What the fuck, Alex?" You yell with a mixture of anger and confusion, rubbing your sore cheek where the other woman had slapped you only moments before. "I said I was sorry!"
"I know. Fuck!" Alex shook her head, attempting to clear the stars from her vision before looking up at you with watery eyes. "But it was fair, right? A slap for a slap?"
And then suddenly, unbelievably, the dark haired woman is laughing and it takes a moment, but then you are laughing too, though you have no idea why. You both stand there in the middle of the road, chortling like madwomen as you gaze at each other, until Alex eventually calms down enough to speak.
"It feel good though, right?" She asks, her green eyes sparkling knowingly and you are surprised to find that you actually feel much better than you had a few minutes ago, lighter even. It feels as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders and you can't help but crack a smile as you stare back at the other woman in awe.
"Yeah," you murmur thoughtfully, but your eyes widen when the dark haired woman starts stalking towards you like a panther. "Alex? What is it? Oh God, Alex, come on!"
"A slap for a slap," the dark haired woman says, grinning wickedly. "And a punch for a punch, right?"
"Oh, fuck," is all you manage to say, before Alex tackles you to the ground, quite painfully, and then you are scrapping like boys in high school and fuck, it actually felt pretty good.