Do not own Orange Is the New Black or any of the characters.
I got to say, I am really getting into this story! :)
This chapter I had fun writing...and no not because of that! That is not going to happen for a while and if you don't know what I mean by that...you must be new to my stories. Hahaha...
Anyways, on a serious note, there's not a lot of Vauseman like there is but does not focuse mainly on them.
But I still think you guys will enjoy it...or I hope you do because I enjoyed writing it!
Enjoy!
"So what happened to you the other night?" asked Nicky as she climbed up onto one of the barstools and looked over at Alex, who was once again unloading boxes of liquor.
"What other night?" asked Alex in confusion as she looked up suddenly, causing her glasses to slip down the slop of her nose.
Nicky couldn't help but chuckle slightly in amusement as Alex pushed her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose. "Vause, you really should just get contacts," stated the shorter woman, "It would make your life a hell of a lot easier!"
Alex just shook her head at the other woman before going back to her box. The two friends have had this discussion before. Alex had worn contacts in the past, but found glasses easier to wear. Plus, she felt bare without her signature black framed glasses on her face. Just like she felt bare with out a line of black eyeliner on her top eyelash.
"Hey, you never answered my question..." cried out Nicky towards Alex, "What happened to you the other night?"
Alex knew that Nicky wanted details on what had happened or if anything had happened between her and Piper on Sunday at Daya's party. The two friends had yet to talk to each other since they had gone their separate ways at the party. She took her time however, emptying the box as she decided what to tell her friend. She wanted to tell Nicky everything about kissing Piper on the balcony to their brief make out session last night on the street. However, another part of her didn't want to tell Nicky any of it. She knew that the bushy blonde would just tease her merciless about her crush on Piper.
Plus, she didn't feel like sharing just yet about this new relationship she was about to embark on with Piper...whatever it was. The brunette still wasn't sure what her and Piper were. They had both agreed that they wanted to be more than just friends and have a more romantic relationship with one another.
Now, usually that would mean for her sex and lots of it. And she was sure that there would be sex with Piper eventually, just not now. Piper she knew was new to this whole...girl on girl thing. She hadn't come out and exactly told her this but she figured from how skittish the blonde had been about the kiss and the whole running away thing...that yeah she was a newbie.
Alex usually tried to avoid being someone's "first". There was too much emotion and kid gloves needed for that. But again, her feelings for Piper where different then from any other attraction she had felt towards someone. She found herself willingly pushing aside all her old habits and adopting new ones in away.
Sex to Alex Vause was up there with food and water. It was a need of survival. A sectional thing in life. And usually her rule of thumb was if they didn't put out by the third date, they weren't worth her time and energy. And thou, her and Piper hadn't even gone out on a first date yet, she knew deep down that rule would be stretched and probably broken. She would go as slow as Piper wanted or needed her to go for her. Something she had never done for another girl before.
"Nothing happened," she replied as casually as possible as she glanced over her shoulder at Nicky.
Nicky just rolled her eyes at Alex. She knew what she had just said was complete and utter bullshit. There was no way that nothing had happened the other night! She had seen the looks that Alex and Piper had given each other on the subway ride over to the party. She had seen all their little looks through out last week. She knew that they both liked each other.
"Plus, weren't you stoned like half the night?" Alex knew it was a low blow to her friend but she really wanted Nicky to stop drilling her on Piper. Especially when Red could interrupt them at any moment.
Nicky pretended to be hurt by Alex's question. It was no secret that she was a junkie. Alex had been one too when she first met her too. But the brunette claimed to be too good for that now or whatever. Nicky wasn't really bothered if Alex smoked weed or did any other drugs for that matter. It wasn't like she was an addict or anything...well at least not anymore. A few years ago she had been deep in shit and such but she was clean now.
The two friends were quiet for a moment or two as Alex finished unpacking the box before beginning to break it down. As she did, she looked over at Nicky who was grinning back at her. She couldn't help, but smile back at this. She was glad there was no harsh feelings between them. Nicky was her best friend and she would hate to lose her.
As Alex flattened the box, Nicky began to tell her what had happened last night between Big Boo and Mercy. There was always drama between those two, thought Alex as she continued to listen to Nicky's story on how the two Exs had fought.
As Nicky told the story, neither of them noticed the blonde come into the bar.
Piper's heart was racing as she walked into the room and heard the booming laugh of Nicky. Her blue eyes immediatly looked up from where she was texting Polly on her phone to the two women at the bar.
The two of them hadn't noticed her just yet as she stood there. She was extremely nervous to be at work today. Not about the job, but about working with Alex. Especially after everything that had happened last night between them. After clearing up their miss communication of sorts they had decided that they wanted to be together or at least try to.
As she stood there frozen to the spot, debating how to approach the two women, faith decided on it's own.
Piper was slowly let out a deep breath and put her phone back into her bag when some bumped her from behind.
"Watch it! College!"
Piper winced slightly as she rubbed her shoulder and caught Tricia's eye as she passed her. She glared at her from behind as she made her way to the bar and took a seat beside Nicky.
She still didn't know what this younger girl's problem was with her. Whatever it was, it had only gotten worse after finding out that Piper had gone to Smith. Her new nickname was "college" now. She was apparently the only person at the bar who had gone to college. That had surprised her, she for sure had thought that Alex had done some post- secondary education. She just seemed so well read to her. Alex had just laughed in her face when she had asked her.
The brunette's exact words to her had been- "Would I be fucking bartending if I had gone to some fancy university?"
That had slightly raffled the blonde. She had gone to some fancy university and here she was working at a bar waitressing. But she hadn't tried to let it bother her too much, Alex hadn't meant as a direct dig to her.
Both Alex and Nicky turned to see Tricia look smugly at the blonde before heading towards them.
Alex frowned slightly as the younger woman approached. She had never gotten along with Tricia. She only worked at the bar because of Nicky. Nicky had taken the nineteen year old underneath her wing after meeting her at one of her meetings. Nicky was a recovering Heroin addict. And Tricia had been in need of a job when she had met her. So she had brought her to Mama Red. In a similar fashion she had done with Alex, four years ago.
Red had been hesitate though on hiring a underage girl to work at the bar, not only was it kinda against the law but Red also hadn't wanted any trouble with the young girl. However, Tricia had informed her that she was clean and was a hard worker. The girl, though despite what she had promised had been here for only five months and had already caused trouble amongst the staff. For one she had started to go out with Mercy which every one else knew was a no-no. Especially considering Mercy had been Mrs. Big Boo just two month prier to Tricia's arrival.
And Alex and her didn't see eye to eye on matters either so much.
But Nicky liked the kid. She treated her like a little sister, watching out for her and taking her word on most matters. Nicky saw a younger version of herself in Tricia. The kid had no home and was trying to get a fresh start. Nicky had been just as messed up as Tricia had been at that age before she had met Red and helped/forced her to get clean.
For that, Nicky would always be in debt towards the Russian woman. She had given her a roof over her head and a job while struggling to get clean. Red was hard a times but she was a softy deep down. She loved each of the girls at the bar for different reasons. But if you crossed one of her lines, she had no problem throwing you back onto the street. She gave each of them two strikes.
Not three but two. Russian don't play baseball.
"What's up?" asked Tricia as she nodded her head in acknowledgment to the two of as she took a seat on one of the bar stools.
"Nothing much!" stated Nicky as she placed her elbows onto the surface of the bar and rested her chin on her hands, striking some sort of pose.
Alex didn't say anything to Tricia as she looked across the room, to where Piper was standing still, rubbing her shoulder. It looked like the blonde didn't like Tricia either, very much by the way she was glaring into the younger's woman backside. The brunette debated on what to do, a part of her wanted to go over to Piper but she knew if she did that would draw Nicky's attention and she didn't want Nicky to point of what was going on between her and Piper...at least not with Tricia there.
Alex pretended to be busy herself by rearranging the bottle of liquor behind her as Piper approached the bar.
"Chapman!" cried out Nicky in greeting towards the blonde.
Alex didn't have to look at her friend's face to know that it had its normal smug look painted upon it. She knew that Nicky would be all over Piper for details which Alex hadn't given her on the other night.
"Hi, Nicky," spoke Piper towards Nicky. She tried to keep her eyes on the shorter woman but she kept on shooting glances at Alex, who had her back to her.
"So how did you enjoy the party the other night?" asked Nicky slyly towards the blonde.
"The party! It was good...I had fun..." spoke Piper as she tried to keep her voice as calm as possible. She didn't want to draw un-necessary attention to herself but she was struggling to keep cool and casual and pretend that nothing was going on between her and Alex. Alex had warned her that Nicky would make it difficult for her and would try to pry information from her but not to let her to do so. They needed to act like nothing had happened between them. Especially in front of Red. The Russian might be tolerate towards Tricia and Mercy's relationship but that didn't mean she would be for them.
"Oh I'm sure you had fun..." Nicky wagged her eyebrows suggestively towards the blonde.
Piper could feel her cheeks flushing slightly at what the other woman was applying, but tried to keep her face blank. "I don't know what you mean by that," she stated casually as she looked briefly away from Nicky and towards Alex, who was busy wiping down the bar. "I got a little drunk yes...but if I remember correctly you were a little worse off than I was..."
"OHHHH! Touché Chapman!" cried out Nicky as her eyes gleamed with amusement at what the blonde had just said. It seemed like her and Alex had some how coordinated their answers together or something. That was twice she had gotten dig at for being high at the party.
Alex let out a little chuckle at hearing this. Piper had listened to her well about how to shut Nicky up.
Piper looked over at Alex at hearing her laugh and caught the brunette's eye. The two women couldn't help but stare at each other for a moment. Everything they had planned last night was gone out the window it seemed. It was obvious that they liked each other as they continued to make googly eyes for a moment longer, forgetting they had an audience.
However, before anyone could point out the sexual tension between the two women, Red came from the back. Everyone immediatly turned their attention onto the older woman.
Red stroked her jaw as she squinted her eyes between Tricia and Piper. A frown immediatly formed on her face, "You're not suppose to be here."
Both Piper and Tricia were confused on who Red was talking about. Who wasn't suppose to be here? The two of them exchanged a look with one another before looking back at Red.
"Which one of us?" asked Piper. Her heart started to hammer as a feeling of panic twisted in the pit of her stomach. She had been sure that Red had told her that her next shift was on Tuesday, today. She was working the early shift and she remembered clearly being surprised that she didn't have to close when she saw the weekly schedule.
Red's hazel eyes pierced into Piper's and for a second Piper was for sure she was talking about her, however the Russian casted her eyes over to Tricia and simply pointed at the young girl.
"You!" stated the Red in her thick accent, "You're to come back later on tonight at eight."
It was currently three in the afternoon. The bar usually opened at four for the early dinner and happy hour crowd.
"What the...?" stated Tricia in disbelief. "I can't come back! I got plans with my girl, Mer...My girl tonight!" She had almost let it slip that she was dating Mercy. It wasn't uncommon knowledge that the two of them were going out but you still didn't mention that to Red. She couldn't afford to get a strike against her, she needed this job. "Make college come back...She the new one here. I got like seniority and shit!"
The older woman face was ice cold as she continued to stare at Tricia for a moment. The room had gone completely silent as everyone waited on pins and needles on what Red was going to say.
"The only one who has seniority here, is me!" she stated coldly, "You come back at eight!"
Red glared at Tricia for a second longer before heading back to her office. As she left she mumbled something under her breath in Russian.
"Well, I guess I'll go then..."stated Tricia as she looked around at the others before staring at Piper in coldness. Like it was her fault or something that Red had given her Tricia's usual shift and was making her come back later.
"See ya later I guess," the nineteen year old then jumped off her stool and headed out the front door.
Piper waited until she heard the thud of the door closing before throwing her bag onto the bar and taking a seat on the stool that Tricia had just been seated on.
"Ughh!" murmured Piper in frustration, "I don't know what the fuck I did to her to make her hate me! I've only been nice to her!"
"Don't take it personally, Chapman," stated Nicky, "Tricia just feels threatened by you..."
"Threatened!?"
"Yeah, she's been the new one for a few months now and then you're coming here with your college degree and shit! She's just jealous that's all. She's never really had a family and or a couple of dollars to her name."
"My college degree doesn't mean shit here. Plus, you come from money and she's nice to you!" Alex had been the one to tell Piper on how Nicky had been born on the Upper East Side and came from an affluent background.
Nicky studied Piper for a moment before glancing over at Alex, "And who told you that...your girlfriend over here?"
Piper cheeks flushed as she too glanced over at Alex. She hadn't meant to fib on Alex for telling her about Nicky's past. She hadn't given too much away. She was just curious to know how the two of them had met. The two had bonded over their absent parents growing up, Nicky with her mom and Alex about her dad.
"Alex didn't meant any harm, Nicky," explained Piper brutally trying to fix the damage already done. She had never seen Nicky like this before. She had only ever seen the other woman with a smug look on her face. "I just was curious on how you guys met and assumed you knew each other from school or something...Don't blame her."
Both Nicky and Alex had their eyes burning into the blonde. Alex hadn't exactly told Piper not to tell Nicky about what she had said about her upbringing. But at the same time, she hadn't been expecting Piper to spill that she knew about Nicky's past. Nicky didn't exactly go around bragging she had grown up in a Penthouse on the Upper East Side, where she had been raised by a nanny instead of her mother.
Piper found herself drenched in a nervous sweat as her eyes looked between Nicky and Alex. She hated how she sometimes spoke without thinking it fully through. She had just been so pissed off at Tricia and her attitude towards her.
"Look, it's fine Chapman. You're right I did come from money but my mother cut off my inheritance the same time that she kicked me out when I was seventeen. All the money to my name now has been earned by my own hard work." Nicky's voice was firm as she explained all this to Piper. Sure she had come from a privileged upbringing as some would see it, attending the best schools that money could buy and such. But Nicky saw her childhood as anything but that. She had barely known or seen her mother. Her father had died when she was a baby and her mother had been too busy fucking Paolo, her Brazilian boyfriend to give a crap about her. Nicky had been raised by a nanny, who she had thought was her real mother until the age of eight. And once Nicky got to the age where she was smart enough to realize her actual mother was a cow and didn't give a fuck about her own daughter, she started to rebel and get into a lot of shit, like heroine.
Piper suddenly felt guilty and she wasn't sure exactly why that was. Maybe because, no matter how much she hated her own mother for her judgmental, WASPy ways, Carol Chapman had always been there for her. Her mother might not approve of her life choices but if Piper ever got herself in trouble and needed help, her parents would be there in a heartbeat, no questions asked. Well, with a lot of questions asked but they would still be there for her.
"I'm sorry, Nicky," her voice was genuine. She really did feel bad for offending her in some way.
Nicky held Piper gaze for a moment before her face broke out into a smirk, "No hard feelings Chapman."
Piper couldn't help but smile back at this. She was relieved to hear that Nicky wasn't mad at her.
"So really...what the fuck went down between the two of you?" Nicky wagged her eyebrows playfully as her eyes filled with mischief as she looked between the two women. She was done with talking about her upbringing on the Upper East Side and was going to try to use this moment to find out what was going on between Alex and Piper. They at least owed her that, she thought.
"So what are you doing tonight?" asked Alex casually in a low voice towards Piper. She was in the middle of making a Long Island Ice Tea for a customer while the blonde waited for her order to come up from the kitchen window. Her eyes looked briefly around the room before falling onto Piper.
Piper looked up from where she was staring at her hands to the brunette. Her forehead was wrinkled slightly in confusion at what Alex meant by this question. "What do you mean what am I doing tonight...I'm working here..."
Alex was silent for a moment as she finished making the drink before placing it down onto Piper's tray. "What are you doing afterwards?" Her voice was low but there was a hint of seduction in her tone as her green eyes pierced into Piper. She was trying to ask her out but the blonde didn't seem to be picking up on the hint.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment before looking away. Red had just passed by them and they didn't want to drawn attention to themselves. It was now about six at night and the bar was filled with noise. It was crowded with a mixture of business men and students doing summer courses at NYU.
Alex and Piper watched the Russian like a hawk before shifting their attention back onto themselves. Alex raised her eyebrows as if silently communicating with the blonde. She still hadn't answered her on what she was doing after she got off at eight.
"I dunno," whispered Piper as she hopped off her stool and carefully reached for her tray, being extremely careful not to spill the drink that rested on it. "Probably just go home and paint or something..."
Alex couldn't help but frown at this. She would surely had thought that Piper would get the hint that she was trying to ask her out for tonight. "Welll...I get off at the same time as you do..." her voice once again trailed off as she wagged her eyebrows suggestively at Piper.
"Oh!" Piper's eyes widened as realization set in. She now understood why Alex was asking what she was doing after work. A small smile then tugged on the blonde's features as excitement bubbled in her stomach.
"Yeah, I thought maybe we could do something," Alex spoke slowly as her eyes pierced deeply into Piper's. "together..."
Piper grin deepened at hearing this. Alex was asking her out...on a real date. She could almost squeal with joy but knew that she couldn't for that would surely draw attention to her and Alex. That was the last thing that they wanted to happen. Especially, so early on in whatever this was between them.
"Okay," whispered Piper.
A small grin appeared on Alex's face at hearing this. "Okay," she whispered back.
The two women stayed like this for a moment longer, before being interrupted by the sound of the bell going off.
"ORDER UP!" cried Miss Claudette from the service window.
"SHIT!" swore Piper as she tore her eyes away from Alex and over to the window, where a not too pleased looking Miss Claudette was sticking her head out and glaring at the blonde.
"Well, come on child. I don't got all day!" spoke the older woman in her thick accent towards the blonde.
"Coming!" cried back Piper as she quickly rushed over, being careful at the same time not to spill the Long Island Ice Tea which rattled slightly on the tray.
Alex was just finishing her cigarette when Piper emerged from the bar and walked over towards her. She was only a few feet away from the entrance.
"Hey," whispered Piper breezily as she tugged a stray hair behind her ear and smiled at the brunette.
"Hey," replied back Alex as she flicked the cigarette down onto the cement sidewalk and stepped on the end of it with the toe of her motorcycle boot. Her eyes gleamed with lust as she studied the blonde's face before allowing them to fall down her body. Piper was still in her work uniform of red t-shirt and the black cargo mini skirt that all waitressing staff were required to wear. Even know, She had seen the blonde in that outfit a few times now, she could help but admire how good it looked on her. The skirt hit Piper mid-thigh, showcasing her toned long legs. Just by looking at her legs, she could tell she must be some sort of runner or did yoga or something to keep them in that physical shape.
"So what do you want to do?" asked Piper as she drew Alex out of her thoughts and made her eyes focus on her face, once again.
"I was kinda leaving that up to you, kid," responded Alex, with a smirk and it was the truth. When she had decided to plan some sort of date with the blonde tonight, she hadn't really had anything in mind. She wanted to woo her but also again was trying to take it very slowly with her. Her normal "wooing" would consist of some big dinner at some fancy restaurant, which was way over priced and lots and lots of booze. Alex Vause like to impress her dates. However, it was late already and her normal places to go on dates would be completely booked up.
"Me!?" Piper's voice rose a note or two as she looked at Alex in surprise. "Aren't you suppose to sweep me off my feet and shit? I was expecting to be wooed, Ms. Vause!"
Alex cocked an eyebrow as she stared back at Piper in surprise before the smirk once again returned to her face. She was messing with her, she thought as she continued to look at the blonde in awe. That was usually her thing,
"I must say I'm a little disappointed..." Piper was trying to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up into a smile but was failing to do so. She didn't exactly know where her sudden confidence had come from to be flirting so openly with Alex like this. Sure she had flirted before but Alex had always been the one to initiate the flirting. But here she was, little Piper Chapman, flirting up a storm like some sexy minx or something...
Alex fought the deep urge she was overcome with to reach out and kiss Piper at that very moment. It wasn't that she was shy about public displays of affection, just the opposite. It was just that they were still in front of the bar and Red could come out any moment and catch them. Plus, she could tell that Pornstache was watching them from his position at the entrance of the bar. That guy was a sicko, she thought bitterly to herself as she glance up passed Piper and caught his eye.
Pornstache was indeed watching them. He wagged his eyebrow suggestively at Alex at the same time at he licked his lips before smirking.
Alex glared back in disgust at Pornstache and his dirty mind before raising her hand and giving him the finger.
This was not the first time that Pornstache was lurking at any of the staff at Coyote. The man was known to be a douche bag and he wasn't really shamed about it. He took pride that he was the only male on staff. And even know most of the staff was gay at the bar, that didn't stop him from trying to get into their pants.
The bouncer just merely chuckled at Alex's finger gestures before stroking his mustache that he took great pride in.
Alex just shook her head before returning her attention back on to Piper, who was looking at her in confusion.
"Pornstache," she whispered, reading Piper's mind.
"Oh," murmured the blonde as she glanced over her shoulder to look at the bouncer. She had forgotten that he was there.
"Come on let's get out of here..." Alex then grabbled Piper suddenly by the wrist and began to pull her down the street. Far away from Pornstache and his perverted thoughts.
Alex waited until they were at the end of the street before letting go of Piper's wrist. But instead pulling her hand completely away from the blonde, she slid it down her slim wrist before lacing her fingers with hers.
The brunette glanced over at the blonde, making sure this was alright for her, holding hands like this.
Piper was a little taken back by this but smiled up at Alex in reassurance that it was okay. She never would have thought that Alex was the hold your hand type but here she was, doing just that. Piper's heart began to hammer with excitement as Alex squeeze her hand, sending a tingling feeling down her spine.
Alex returned the smile before beginning to turn the corner and began to lead Piper down another street. She suddenly had an idea in mind on how to woo the blonde.
"Where are we headed too?" asked Piper out of curiosity.
"My place," whispered Alex as she looked at Piper through the corner of her eye and smirked.
HAHAHAHA I know I am evil for leaving it there. But it's my story and I get to decide these things! :-D
Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!
Julie
