The women ate and talked and laughed and kissed their way through the night. Alex was the first to rise the next morning. She seemingly tried getting out of bed without waking Piper, but the blonde felt the mattress dip. A smile slowly crept across Piper's face as Alex lifted one of her legs off of her thigh.
"Morning," the brunette greeted.
"Good morning," she replied hoarsely, touching Alex's shoulder and taking a few seconds to realize where she was. "This really happened."
"It did." Alex propped herself onto one elbow and faced the blonde. "How do you feel?"
"Good." She tossed a chunk of dark hair over Alex's shoulder. "Sore, but good."
Alex giggled and kissed her on the forehead, then the nose, and finally on the lips. "I need to go to the Farmer's Market before it gets too crowded."
Piper rubbed her eyes, then stretched. "Want some company?"
"Yeah." She hopped out of bed. "You can go back to sleep for a little while if you want. I'm going to shower."
She smiled. "Is it big enough for both of us?"
"My shower?"
Piper nodded.
"Let's find out." Alex reached for her lover, and Piper grabbed her hand. They were both naked as they padded towards the bathroom, careful to avoid the pieces of ceramic that they'd yet to clean up.
Piper got on her knees in the shower, throwing one of the brunette's legs over a shoulder before Alex instituted a no touching policy so that they could make it out of the house by 9 a.m. in order to avoid the crowd at the Farmer's Market.
The Sunday Farmer's Market in Kennebunkport drew hundreds of tourists and residents from the nearby towns. There were more than 30 stalls, selling everything from fresh fruit & vegetables to local honey to bouquets of flowers to prepared food, like grilled corn and freshly baked scones.
Piper had always enjoyed venturing to the farmer's market, but she rarely went when there wasn't a crowd. She wondered if her parents would make an appearance that day, but she knew they planned to head back to Connecticut at an earlier hour than usual because her father had a business meeting first thing on Monday morning.
Alex picked up a grapefruit and smelled it, and then held it up for the blonde to sniff. "Know how to tell if a grapefruit is ripe?"
"I'm guessing by smelling it." She took in a big whiff. "It's sweet."
"That's what you're looking for." She put two grapefruits into a bag. "You can do that for pretty much any fruit. Give it a good squeeze, too. You don't want it to be super soft, but definitely not hard." She handed the vendor $2.
Piper smiled up at her. She loved that Alex taught her about practical things. "This is nice."
Alex glanced at her. "What, the market?"
"The market, the breeze, the sunshine." She shrugged. "Being with you."
The brunette bumped Piper's upper arm with her shoulder. "It is."
They walked from stall to stall making small talk, and at one point, Alex grabbed the blonde's fingertips, holding on to them a little longer than Piper expected. It sent an electric current through the blonde's veins, and she wanted desperately to link their hands together as they strolled around Block Square. However, Piper had no idea if her lover wanted to be exposed like that, nor did she know if she herself was ready for any public displays of affection with a person of the same sex.
Alex surveyed a cheese display and popped a sample of lavender goat cheese into her mouth. "You're in charge of dinner tonight."
"Me?" She jutted her head back. "The only thing I can cook is a Kraft macaroni and cheese! And I've only been successful at that like three times."
"I'll walk you through it." The dark haired woman grinned. "You choose the ingredients, and we'll come up with something together, but you're going to do most of the prep."
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into." Piper ate a slice of aged Gouda that Alex held out for her.
"The only rule I have is that cheese and seafood don't mix," Alex replied, ignoring her lover's protests.
Piper surveyed the other cheese varietals. "I don't think I'll be very good at this."
The brunette leaned down to whisper, "You didn't think you'd be good at having sex with a woman, but you earned a gold star for that."
Piper felt her cheeks heat up with a touch of embarrassment, but she was also turned on by the thought of what they'd done that night and into the morning. Truth be told, the blonde didn't know if she'd like the taste or the feeling of eating Alex out, but the more she did it, the more she savored it. She licked her lips, wondering if they could find a hidden spot where she could go down on her lover and make her writhe with pleasure.
Alex looked at her sideways. "I know what you're thinking."
The blonde's eyes shot open. "You do?"
"Patience, kid. I have some things to do before we can do that again," the brunette chuckled.
Although Piper was a bit disappointed in her answer, it wasn't lost on her that Alex insinuated that there would be more sex in the near future. She could hold out a few hours, but she didn't want to leave Alex's side that day.
Piper chose random ingredients for dinner that night, keeping some of it as a surprise for Alex, who would probably look at the produce and mutter, "What the fuck?" The blonde didn't care so much about what they'd eat; rather, she was just excited to prepare a meal together, stealing kisses as they worked around each other in the tiny kitchen—something she'd wanted to do since the first time she had dinner with Alex.
They'd walked to the Farmer's Market that morning, because Alex had abandoned her truck in the Shaw's parking lot the day before. She invited Piper to go along with her to check on the truck, but she also gave her an out, saying that she was free to go to her house to take a shower "or whatever."
There was no way the blonde was going back to her house while her parents were still there, so she followed Alex to the grocery store parking lot.
"You know how to fix trucks, too?" Piper asked, nibbling on a freshly baked scone.
"I know the basics," she replied around a strawberry. "I helped a guy restore my Chevy a few years ago. It took us about six months to get it running, but it was worth it."
They arrived in the parking lot, and Alex popped the hood of the Chevy. She pointed out several engine parts to Piper, and then asked the blonde to get her tool kit from under the seat.
Alex used a socket wrench to unscrew the electrical and vacuum lines. "I've had some trouble with the exhaust gas recirculation valve, so I'll check that first." She pulled it out and examined it. "See that black stuff around the top?"
Piper nodded.
"I'm pretty sure that's blocking gasoline from reaching the engine, so it's only trickling in rather than pumping at full force." She rubbed the device with a shop rag until the soot was gone. "Let's try that." She replaced the valve, and then hopped into the driver's seat.
"Should I stand back?" the blonde asked, taking a step away regardless of the answer.
"It's not like the truck is going to explode," Alex laughed as she pulled the choke and turned the key.
The engine roared twice, and then the vehicle started.
"You did it!" Piper exclaimed.
"Looks like it." The dark haired woman smiled. "Get in, babe."
The blonde did as she was told, reeling at Alex's term of endearment. She rolled down the window and tapped the crumbs from her scone outside so they wouldn't fall into the truck. Piper admired how much Alex took care of the 1955 Chevy, and really, everything that she touched. When something broke in the Chapman household, her parents just bought a replacement, but Alex was different—she'd fix whatever needed fixing before buying something new.
Piper wondered what it would be like for Alex to be her girlfriend, and a smile crossed her face at the very thought. She knew they weren't at the stage yet where their coupling needed to be defined, but if the brunette had asked her what she wanted in that moment, Piper was prepared to reply, "You."
"I have to stop at the Stein's house on the way back and drop off some fruit," Alex announced as she turned down Sand Point Road.
When the blonde glanced over at her, she was struck by how young Alex looked with her hair blowing in the wind and cheeks a little reddened by too much sun already that morning.
"How old are you?" Piper blurted out.
The brunette regarded her, grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Why?"
She shrugged. "Just wondering if I'm sleeping with a woman in her 40s."
"Forty? Really?" Alex took one hand off the wheel and playfully shoved her companion.
"I'm kidding." She smiled. "Sometimes you look my age, and other times you seem much older."
Alex pulled into the Stein's driveway. "Twenty-eight."
Piper paused before getting out of the truck. "Am I too young for you?"
With one hand on the door handle, Alex leaned towards her companion. "Definitely not."
Piper flashed her a toothy smile. "Good."
The dark haired woman exited the truck and reached into the flatbed for two fabric bags filled with assorted fruit, and Piper followed her inside.
"I'm going to find a bowl for these in the kitchen." She passed Piper in the hallway. "Be right back."
The blonde walked into the massive living room and noticed a white Baby Grand near the fireplace. She walked over to it, skimming her fingers over the varnished wood, and then pulled out the bench to sit down and play a few chords.
Piper began to play the last song she'd learned without sheet music. About halfway through, she looked up and noticed Alex in the doorway, leaning against the jamb with her arms crossed and an unreadable expression. When the brunette noticed Piper's stare, she pushed herself off of the jamb and walked towards her companion.
"Know it?" Piper asked, looking down at the piano when she missed a note.
"John Legend." The dark haired woman grinned. "Ordinary People."
"I know every word, but you don't want me to sing."
Alex gave her a sweet smile. "Just keep playing."
Piper stopped for a few seconds and scooted over, silently inviting Alex to join her on the narrow bench.
The brunette did just that, folding her hands in her lap and closing her eyes. Piper watched her closely, and then resumed stroking the keys. When she finished that song, Alex didn't attempt to get up, so the blonde played another one.
A wide smile registered on Alex's face. "Sweet Child of Mine?"
She continued playing, messing up three or four times but finally found the right keys. "Damn, sorry."
"It's ok," the brunette chuckled, eyes still shut. "You're really good."
"I took lessons for years growing up, and I needed one fine arts credit at Smith, so I took an intermediate piano class last semester." Piper thought of another song she might know all of the notes to without sheet music. She struck a few keys, playing the simple introduction to one of her favorites.
The dark haired woman smiled warmly. "Bright Lights & Cityscapes."
Piper returned her smile.
About halfway through the song, the dark haired woman reached over, cupping Piper's cheek with her hand and slowly moved in for a kiss. At first, Piper continued striking the keys, but her concentration was all but lost when Alex's tongue entered her mouth. Alex straddled her lap, forcing Piper's hands to find purchase on the other woman's hips.
The kiss grew more passionate, and Alex pulled back, fingers twisting in blonde hair. "I had no idea you played the piano."
She stroked the smooth skin under the hem of Alex's t-shirt. "There's a lot you don't know about me."
"Is that right?" She smirked.
The blonde nodded.
"Like what?" Alex kissed a trail down her neck.
"Mmm…" she tried to concentrate, but it was damn near impossible with her lover's lips making their way down to her chest. "I'll surprise you every day."
"I hope so." Alex returned her mouth to Piper's. "Let's get out of here." She hopped off the blonde's lap and held a hand out.
"One more." Piper played the first few chords to A Whole New World.
"Aladdin? Seriously?"
The blonde stood. "What do you have against Disney movies?"
"They're all so…hetero." She grabbed Piper's hand and locked the front door on the way out. "And there's always a woman who needs rescuing."
"Not all of them," Piper commented, getting into the truck from the driver's side. "Pocahontas and Brave both feature strong female characters."
"Scoot over, Cinderella." Alex got in, thrusting her hip against Piper's until she slid across the bench seat. "Not that far." The brunette grabbed the inside of her lover's thigh and yanked her closer until their legs touched. "Better."
Piper blushed, terribly delighted by her lover's actions.
They drove towards the end of the road, and as they passed the Chapman home, Piper noticed that her father's Range Rover was still in the driveway.
The brunette glanced at her. "Were you expecting them to be gone?"
"I don't know what I was expecting." She brushed her hair out of her face. "Can we just go to your place?"
She squeezed Piper's leg. "If you want to talk about them, you can."
She looked up at the brunette and twisted their fingers together. "Thanks."
They unloaded their produce from the back of the truck, and then Piper checked her cell phone to see if her parents had tried to contact her. The only text message she had was from Cal, telling her that they were heading back to Connecticut after lunch. At least she knew that much.
It didn't bother the blonde that her parents hadn't enquired about her whereabouts; in fact, Piper was convinced that she should live her life as she saw fit and not try to mold herself into something her parents would approve of. Although she was still at the beginning stages of a potential relationship with Alex, it felt more right than any other coupling in her entire life.
"Let's see what you bought." Alex opened one of the fabric bags. "What the fuck is this?"
Piper peeked over her shoulder. "Pretty fruit."
The brunette turned her head. "You're a pretty fruit."
The blonde giggled, reaching around her lover to pull out four nectarines, a pomegranate, and a package of strawberries.
Alex picked up the pomegranate. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
"There's another bag of stuff." She opened a second bag and pulled out peppered goat cheese, prosciutto, and two heirloom tomatoes. "You told me to get whatever I wanted."
She popped a strawberry into her mouth. "Yeah, but I figured you'd buy stuff that goes together like Burrata and basil."
Piper scratched her head and shrugged. "I'm sure you can think of something to do with all of this."
"You're the one cooking tonight, remember?"
"I was hoping you'd forgotten that part."
"Not a chance." She scooted past the blonde, running a hand across her midsection as she made her way into the living room. "Give those a good wash, and we'll deal with them later. I have some things I have to do today. You're welcome to hang out here, but I'll be out for a few hours."
The blonde pouted, but Alex couldn't see her face from the living room. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Not right now." She turned on her iPod and Melody Gardot sang Worrisome Heart. Alex walked back into the kitchen, taking both of Piper's hands in hers. "Make yourself comfortable here—you can take a nap," she kissed the blonde on the temple. "Read a book," Another kiss on her nose. "Wait for me naked in bed." Finally, Alex's lips landed on Piper's, and she deepened the kiss.
The blonde moved her hands to her lover's breasts, and she was rewarded with a low moan. Alex squeezed Piper's ass, and then placed three pecks on her lips before pulling back. "I really have to go."
Piper creased her eyebrows. "Why?"
"Sundays are busy." Alex brushed a strand of blonde hair across her lover's forehead.
"I thought you were off on Sundays?" She pouted.
"I have things to do, babe." She lifted Piper's chin with two fingers until their eyes met. "But I want you to be here when I get back. Give me four hours."
"Ok." She looked at her feet, trying to keep the disappointment out of her tone.
"I'll make it up to you." The brunette kissed her firmly on the mouth one more time. "Promise." Alex grabbed her purse off the kitchen table and walked out of the screen door without looking back.
Author's Note: Three chapters left after this one.