Warning you before you read this chapter: you're going to want more immediately, and I can't post another chapter until tomorrow afternoon. So if you decide to read this, do so knowing you'll have a 24 hour hiatus.
Thanks SO much for the reviews. Even the negative one; I don't mind. I make choices as a writer that don't appeal to every reader, and I'm ok with that.
Piper left Alex's flat more than a little aggravated at how the day had ended. Spending the evening with Alex was better than she'd even imagined, and doing yoga and having breakfast together was almost like a date. Piper had never felt so attuned to another person—woman or man—and hated that their connection was (and had to be) short lived. If only things were different…
Their abrupt conversation before she left made the blonde grimace—it was like a bad ending to an otherwise enjoyable movie.
When she opened the door to her apartment, Piper stopped short—there were stacks of boxes lining her living room wall. As of 24 hours ago, she'd only packed three boxes, but now there were at least 15 of them packed, taped and labeled. She noticed a piece of paper on top of one of them.
Decided to get some packing done for you this morning. Call when you get home.
-Larry
This infuriated the blonde. She crumbled the paper and threw it as hard as she could, and then walked over and stomped on it. She'd given Larry a key to her apartment months ago, and told him he was welcome to come over with an invitation. They'd laughed about it at the time, but she'd always been serious about wanting to be notified if he planned to make an appearance.
She scrolled in her mobile phone's recent contacts and hit the green button.
"Hey, are you home?" he asked.
"What the fuck, Larry?"
"You noticed that I packed a few boxes," he stated. "I thought I was being helpful."
She put a hand on her forehead. "We need to talk. Now."
"Isn't that what we're doing," he replied sarcastically.
"I mean, in person. Can you come over?"
"I'll be there in 15 minutes." With that, he hung up.
Piper still hadn't made up her mind if she would have 'the talk' with him about not wanting to move in just yet, but this sealed the deal. It didn't help that she'd left Alex's apartment in a foul mood. She almost felt bad that Larry was going to take the brunt of her general, somewhat sexual, frustration.
There was a part of her that wished Polly was here instead of in London meeting Pete's family. She needed someone to talk to. She filled a glass with water and chugged the liquid in four sips. She knew exactly what Polly would say—that she shouldn't have spent time with their major competitor and that she should handle the move-in thing with Larry gently. Polly would list ten reasons why Larry was good for her and another 20 why Alex was certainly not.
That's when it dawned on her that she was actually considering starting something with Alex against her own better judgement. There was, of course, the physical attraction that she couldn't deny, but there was also a mental connection that Piper hadn't expected. She gravitated towards Alex like a moth to a summer streetlight, and the blonde didn't think there was anything she could do to thwart that attraction.
It was all wrong.
Piper didn't know how long she'd been standing in her kitchen deep in thought until she heard a tap on the door. She opened it to see her boyfriend standing in the hallway with hands on his hips. She stepped aside to let him in.
As soon as the door was closed, she dove in. "I can't move in with you, Larry."
His eyebrows nearly touched the ceiling. "What? Where's this coming from?"
"Have you heard one ounce of excitement in my voice when the subject comes up?" She raised her hands. "I don't like being…controlled."
"Is that what you think I'm doing?" he asked through a bitter laugh. "I call it helping."
"I told you a long time ago," she pointed sternly at him. "Not to enter my apartment without asking me first, yet you let yourself in today."
He shifted his weight. "You've been so busy that I thought I'd lend you a hand. Sorry for trying to help!"
"Larry, you're only 'helping' so that I can move in with you sooner." Piper lowered her head and inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "I can't do this. I can't. Not right now." She chanced a look at him.
He shook his head. "If you're not ready to move in now, when?"
"I don't know," she replied in a weighty voice.
Larry spun around and ran a hand down his face as silence descended upon them. She should've felt guilty or at least remorseful; instead, she felt relieved.
He turned around again to face her. "Whose shirt is that?"
She pulled at the fabric and looked down at the shirt Alex had let her borrow. It read 'Ithaca is Gorges.' "It's mine, why?"
"When have you been to Ithaca?" He put his hands on his hips again.
"I bought it at a Thrift Store," she lied. "And since when do you keep track of my clothes? That's fucking creepy."
He clenched his jaw. "If you're not going to move in with me, maybe we should take a break so you can figure out what you want."
She admired his conviction—something she didn't typically associate with her boyfriend. "I think that's a good idea."
"Fine. I guess I'll let myself out."
She stood rooted in the middle of her living room and watched Larry exit. He slammed the door, and she dropped to the ground, scooting on her butt until her back was against the wall. Head in her hands, she sighed loudly.
What the fuck am I doing?
Two weeks passed, and Alex hadn't heard a peep from Piper. She'd thrown herself into work, a coping mechanism she'd learned at a young age, and didn't allow herself time to think about what ifs.
Alex wasn't surprised to get the call from Greer at Barney's that her company didn't get the Christmas account. Greer explained that they were looking for a "softer" look for the holidays, but that the spring line was still an option. Gloria was disappointed with the news, but she didn't take it out on Alex; after all, the dark haired woman had nothing to do with Belle's overall look.
The same day she got the unfortunate news about Barney's, Alex received a bit of good news—Garrison Keillor was doing a show at Town Hall two days before Thanksgiving. While in the shower one morning, she allowed herself to think about her course of action. On one hand, she wanted to text Piper, but on the other, she didn't think it was wise. They'd ended things rather bitterly that November 1 morning, and Alex didn't know where she stood with the blonde. She also had no idea if Piper had moved in with her boyfriend or not.
She dried off, fixed her hair, and then got halfway dressed. Before buttoning her blouse, she put her hands on both sides of her dresser and sighed. Alex knew she wouldn't be able to erase the blonde from her mind now that she'd allowed her to enter.
She picked up her cell phone and opened a new text message. "Congratulations on Barney's. It's 1 to 1."
She finished getting dressed, and then headed to the Upper East Side for work. As Alex jogged up the steps from the Subway to the streets of Manhattan, she felt her phone vibrate.
"You're keeping score?" Piper wrote.
The brunette couldn't judge her tone, so proceeded cautiously. "What can I say? I'm competitive."
She arrived at the office a few minutes later, said hello to Kenyon and listened to one of his stories about dating the "whore men of New York." He claimed that they were on him like "kittens on their momma's titties" because of how he smelled (all thanks to the Belle samples Margeaux had been giving him.) She went to her office, still laughing at Kenyon's antics.
Alex looked at her cell phone and didn't see a response from Piper, so she decided to take a risk. "Let me take you out to celebrate your victory."
She powered on her computer while awaiting a reply. If one was not forthcoming, Alex had enough to keep her mind occupied for the next two weeks with her inbox alone.
"That's rather mature of you," Piper typed.
Alex smiled. "I'm an adult. Maturity comes with the territory."
"Not always," Piper replied.
The brunette wondered if this had anything to do with Larry. She didn't know the guy but assumed he wouldn't have a chance if he was the only thing standing in the way of her and Piper. Still, with him out of the picture, she had a better shot of winning the blonde over. It was just a matter of figuring out the business rival thing.
"I'm pretty tied up right now. How about Nov. 24?" Alex typed.
Piper didn't reply until hours later, and the brunette wondered if she was making a list of pros and cons about going out with her. Alex figured it could go either way. She wasn't used to having to work for a possible date with a woman—they flocked to her without much effort on her part, and she found herself turning most of them down.
"Where do you want to meet?"
Alex smiled at Piper's response but wondered if that was the blonde's way of stating that this was not a date—there would be no picking up or dropping off at one's home.
"Monarch Rooftop Lounge, 6 p.m."
"See you then." Piper typed.
It might not have been billed as a date, but Alex beamed at the thought of seeing Piper again.
There was a chance that she'd see Alex prior to their evening out, but Piper didn't attend the sales meeting at Lord & Taylor. She and Polly had finally hired a sales person—25 year old Milandu, originally from China and recent Wharton graduate. They'd sent her to the department store meeting while trying to restock the Barney's Christmas order before the end of the week.
"Shit, I have to go." Piper stood and closed her laptop.
Polly stopped typing. "Where are you going?"
"Meeting someone for a drink." She kept her eyes down.
Piper had filled her best friend in on what went down with Larry, and as she expected, Polly was disappointed. Of course, the blonde didn't mention Alex, but she didn't think that part of the story was relevant—at least not to Polly who already couldn't stand the dark haired woman.
"Do I know this person?"
"It's somebody I met at yoga," she lied as she grabbed her coat and scarf from the hook on the back of the door.
Polly didn't seemed phased by her answer, and for that, the blonde was grateful. "Alright. Have fun while I slave away here."
She gave her friend a look. "Why don't you go home, too? Have dinner with Pete before 9 o'clock."
"That would be a treat," Polly admitted, cracking her knuckles.
"See you in the morning." Piper smiled and left the building.
It was a cold night in the city, and she was glad that she'd brought her thick coat. She rode the Subway downtown and fixed her hair and applied a fresh coat of makeup along the way. After dabbing Mac gloss on her mouth, Piper smacked her lips together and stepped off the train.
She took the elevator to the 18th floor, smiling at the fiasco of getting stuck with Alex in the Barney's elevator two months ago.
The Monarch was fairly crowded, but she noticed Alex almost immediately at the end of the bar. The brunette was wearing a sleek metallic dress with red pumps. She threw her head back, apparently laughing at something the man next to her was saying, and Piper couldn't peel her eyes away from Alex's long, milky white neck.
Piper removed her coat and checked it with the hostess. She made her way over to the other woman, feeling her heart beat a little faster with each step, all but forgetting how the day ended when they saw each other last.
Alex stood, and her eyes roamed over the blonde's body. "What, no animal costume?"
Piper had chosen her outfit that day for precisely this occasion. She knew that the Banana Republic sweater dress hugged her body in all the right ways, especially when she was the target of several cat calls from construction workers earlier that morning. She'd curled her hair that morning, too, but there was nothing she could do about the way some of the ringlets had already unraveled.
"Are you one of those furries or something?" Piper greeted, not knowing if she should shake her companion's hand, go in for a hug, or do nothing.
Alex made the decision for her and wrapped her arms around her slender frame. Piper relished in her crisp, autumn-like scent and tried to keep the wonder out of her mind if Alex was wearing Belle products—she didn't want to focus on work. Not tonight.
"No, but you were one sexy cat." The brunette dragged her hand down Piper's arm. "Thanks for meeting me."
Piper blushed, and Alex's touch made her quiver with anticipation. "Thank you for inviting me."
She signaled for the bartender with the nod of her head. "What would you like to drink?"
He approached them with a cocktail shaker in one hand.
"I'll have a Hendricks martini, please. Two olives," the blonde ordered. She could feel Alex's fingertips on the small of her back.
"Same."
The women were standing close to each other—close enough for Piper to smell the brunette's cinnamon breath. After they placed their cocktail orders, Alex didn't back away. Her hand lingered on Piper's hip, and the blonde found herself inching even closer to keep the contact.
"How was your day?" Alex asked.
"Busy," she sighed. "There aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done."
"Tell me about it." She removed her hand, and Piper already missed the touch. "Congratulations on the Barney's account."
"Thank you. I don't know if I'd congratulate you on your success." Their drinks arrived. "In fact, I know I wouldn't."
Alex shrugged. "I don't own Belle. You own your company, so I could see why it would hit closer to home for you."
Piper nodded. She'd never thought of it that way.
"Let's not talk about work tonight, deal?"
The blonde agreed, smiling at her companion.
She raised her martini glass. "Here's to a fun night where our only disagreement will be on what kind of food to order."
Piper chuckled. "Cheers."
The women locked eyes, and the blonde watched Alex's expression change from jovial to seductive in seconds.
"So, what's new with you?" Alex asked.
She'd had no intention of bringing up Larry, but she found herself vomiting information about their semi-breakup aloud. "I'm not moving in with Larry."
Alex swallowed the gin. "Really?"
She nodded. "The day I came home from yoga (she was careful not to say 'spending the night at your place'), he'd gone into my apartment and packed boxes. I was furious."
"Did he have a key?"
"Yes, but I told him he wasn't allowed to use it unless I gave him permission," she explained.
Alex popped an olive into her mouth. "Definitely out of bounds."
"So I just blurted it out—that I wasn't ready to move in with him." She took a sip of her cocktail.
"Was he pissed?"
"Of course he was." And another sip. "I haven't talked to him in two weeks."
"I'd say I'm sorry to hear that…" the brunette lifted her glass to her mouth. "But I'm not really. I mean, I'm sorry that you might be hurting, but I think you made the right decision if you weren't ready to take the next step."
"Thank you, but I'm not hurting." She lowered her head. "Maybe I should be, but I'm not."
The two ordered another round of martinis and debated about what food to order. They settled on caprese skewers and bruschetta. They made small talk about yoga, fitness in general, and both of their childhoods.
A few times throughout the hour and a half at the bar, Alex touched Piper in some intimate way. Her touches were benign enough for the blonde to wonder if they were intentional or not. She had to examine if she wanted them to be. If Piper was being honest with herself, the answer was a resounding, yes.
Alex looked at her watch. "I have a surprise for you."
"Do you turn into a pumpkin at midnight?"
The dark haired woman chuckled. "No, but if it was midnight, you'd miss the surprise." She handed Piper an envelope. "Open it."
Piper gently lifted the flap of the envelope and pulled out two tickets. She could feel her face light up as she read the bold print, "An Evening with Garrison Keillor. No way! Alex, this is…these are…wow!" She threw her arms around the woman next to her, burying her head in the crook of her neck.
"I thought you might like it," Alex whispered.
She pulled back, hands on each of Alex's cheeks. "Thank you."
The brunette covered Piper's wrists with her own hands. "You're welcome."
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment longer than any two friends would, and Piper considered kissing the other woman. This was one of the kindest, most thoughtful gestures that she'd been the recipient of in years, and she was overcome with emotion.
Before she'd made up her mind, Alex released her and pulled away. "We have to get a move on if we want to make it on time."
"Ok." She drained her second martini. "Want my last olive?"
Alex leaned forward, opening her mouth a little. Piper took that as an indication to lift the toothpick to the brunette's mouth so that she could pluck the olive off. What she wouldn't give for those lips to be tugging on her nipple instead of an olive. Piper swallowed hard. "I'm going to pay for this."
"You certainly will not." Alex stopped her with a hand on her forearm. "I asked you to have a celebratory drink with me. I'm paying."
She could tell by the set of Alex's jaw that there was no use arguing. Instead, she excused herself to the restroom to freshen up. While inside, Piper's face broke out into a huge grin. The woman at the sink next to her probably thought she was maniacal.
Other than being business rivals, she adored everything about Alex—her mind, her generosity, her clothing, her body, her ability to tell stories, her confidence…the list went on. Piper confessed to herself that if Alex made a move on her, there was no way she'd be able to resist.
It's about to get hot. Let me know if that's alright with ya'll.