A/N: I feel like I'm constantly apologising for the delays between updates, but I really am sorry – sixth form is slowly killing me off! Also can I just say thank you so much for helping this fic get over 100 follows; the reaction to this has been nothing but positive and it means more than you know! Anyway, enough rambling – here's chapter 10. X
10.
12 days to go. The stress of the ever approaching day was beginning to weigh heavy on Piper; having never felt so unorganised nor out of control control in her life, she did what Chapman's naturally do – run away from their troubles. It was 11am, 12 days before she was set to hand herself over to Larry; the alleged love of her life, whilst she should be busy preparing final details for things such as the wedding meals, ensuring the bridesmaids dresses were all finalised and ready, her and Polly were coursing through the compacted roads to a Spa in Manhattan. Everyone deserves a little break now and then. Wanting to add to the cliché of driving with the roof of Polly's convertible down, regardless of the fact a scatter of dark grey clouds were making their presence known overhead, the pair were screeching along to 'Shake It Off' as it blasted through the car radio. 'God Pipes, I can't believe this is really happening! You're actually getting married!' Piper's stomach didn't drop as much upon hearing that statement, she was slowly coming round to the idea of marriage. Better late than never. Finally turning off into a more secluded area, the pair shortly arrived at their destination; rolling freely up a long path that eventually turned into loose stones sharp enough to puncture a tire, Polly refused to drive any further before turning off the cars ignition without a second thought. Greeted by an extravagant building looking like it belonged in the most upper class cities, Piper and Polly allowed a moment to drink in the exterior before slowly making their way into Aire Ancient Baths Spa.
The woman behind the reception counter was of small build; a face that looked as though it belonged on the cover of a glossy magazine accompanied with a mask of light make-up looking as though it'd been done by a professional flashed a toothy smile at the pair. 'Welcome to Aire Ancient Baths Spa, I'm Maritza. Do you have reservations?' Her accent was foreign, although the pair couldn't quite place its origin. Polly immediately took over, unwilling to disclose the true extent of their visit to Piper – it was a surprise that turned out to be not that much of a surprise thanks to Larry accidentally blurting out the arrangements the night before. Before long, another girl, going by the name of Flaca, who's voice was laced thick with that unrecognizable foreign tongue appeared to lead the duo into a changing room – handing them both a thin cotton robe accompanied with soft, comfortable slippers, she explained for them both to get changed, pour themselves a glass of champagne provided and relax before beginning their treatments.
Piper felt at ease with the world; maybe it was the bubbly, bitter taste that was currently lingering on her lips or all the yoga she had recently been partaking in. She was beginning to be almost thankful for her colleague Yoga Jones' constant nagging about needing to soothe her zen before marriage. Raising her glass in cheers, the smile that was playing on the edge of Piper's lips was genuine for what felt like that first time in forever – 'To us, to the future, to me being finally fucking happy' she cried out. Polly met her glass a few inches above their heads as they continued to change into the provided garments; finally feeling as though they were getting their lives together.
'It's strange isn't it? How things can just change in an instant? One minute you're on cloud 9; your whole life ahead of you – then bam! You're in pieces doing things you never saw yourself having the guts to do', this was not the conversation Alex wanted to be having at barely nine thirty in the morning with a woman whose name she couldn't recall.
Dealing with things the way she knew best, Alex took it upon herself to get absolutely shit faced mortal in order to be able to process the happening of that day. Throughout the remainder of it, Alex tried time and time again to muster up the courage to text Piper; she just couldn't. She didn't know what she was agreeing to. Confirming the invitation meant she was okay to close this chapter in her life when it had only just been torn open again – she wasn't ready to do that just yet. It felt only yesterday Piper was bringing her into that familiar embrace she'd grown accustomed to in the middle of the graveyard whilst she wept over the loss of her mother, her love and also herself. They had only just been allowed to rekindle their spark; the thought of being forced to cease it was ridiculously unfair. This was the side of Piper that absolutely infuriated Alex – the indecisive, scaredy cat side. Alex was all too aware she had the balls in that relationship, but it didn't excuse Piper's lack of ability to really choose what she truly desired. Knowing her love more than anyone else – Alex knew that she was who Piper truly wanted; it was the fear of her parents disproval, of the unknown that came alongside being with Alex that made her second guess that. If only Alex had a chance to prove herself, just one last time.
It was late, Nicky had resigned to bed alas Alex had other ideas. Making herself up to be that impressionable, intimidating, hot as fuck woman she knew she could be, she downed a few swigs of straight vodka before heading out to lose herself in an array of alcoholic beverages and women. Her night was treating her well; people were intrigued by her. The way her signature bright, bold lipstick stood out against her porcelain skin drew both men and women in. Girls hung off her; she never spent a dime whenever she embarked out – much to her company's jealousy. Girls were practically throwing shots in her face (which she of course accepted). It was an hour or two before Alex had finally settled on a girl she was drunk enough to deal with bringing home. She was pretty, averagely pretty, but pretty none the less. Brown hair reaching only her shoulders, brown eyes that seemed about as mundane as her drunken personality as well as a body most girls envied; legs that went on for days and perky breasts peeked over the dress that acted as a second skin for her. She was exactly what Alex needed.
Whilst guiding this girl on the short-ish walk from the bar to Alex's apartment; that was when she knew the time was right. Pulling out her phone, she finally gained access to her messages after a few attempts of drunkenly entering her pass code. 'I'll be there.' That was it; she'd agreed to meet Piper. No going back now.
The rest of the night was a blissful blur to Alex – they'd slept together, she knew that much. Right now however, her focus was on getting this stranger out of her bed, out of her apartment as quickly as she could. Within the half an hour Alex had been awake, she'd learnt the girls life story; suddenly divorced as her husband had just upped and left, Alex could really see why, she was yet to have children, she was stuck in a 9-5 job and was all round nowhere near as appealing without the beer goggles Alex so obviously had on last night. Having mastered the art of tuning people out, Alex spent the majority of the strangers story time working out exactly how you ask someone whose name you cannot remember to leave your premises. 'Yeah, great ok. I have work, uh, last night was fun. Can you just get your stuff and go? I'll call you ok.' Wow, smooth Vause. Reaaaaal smooth. The look that quickly spread across the strangers face could only be described as priceless; a mixture of true shock and offense grew rapidly – clearly misunderstanding why this was happening. 'You're kidding, right?' Ugh, one of those ones. 'Does my face look like I'm joking?' Alex quickly retorted. It was such an ungodly hour to be awake for her, not to mention her hangover made her feel as though a legion of elephants were currently stampeding through her head. 'You're a bitch, fuck you,' 'I think you'll find you already did that.' Unable to hide the smirk that lingered on her lips as the stranger's face suddenly went from white to scarlet red, Alex praised herself for that one. 'Kid, I'm not gonna lie to you, I don't even know your name.' As though she finally got through to her, the still nameless woman quickly shot out of bed before bundling her clothes in her hands and storming to the bathroom to get changed out of the bed cover that was currently shielding her naked body.
Alex welcomed the silence as though it was a quickly new experience for her. She didn't have to go into work until later – but she really couldn't wait to be rid of that woman. God, she mentally cursed herself, I have got to stop doing this. The now raging woman eventually emerged from the bathroom. Poking her head round the door of Alex's bedroom, it was as though she took one last chance to drink in the seemingly flawless sight that was Alex Vause naked before exasperatingly crying out 'My name's Sylvie, alright? Asshole!' With that, Alex heard the slam of the front door echo throughout the house. Good riddance. It was still too early for the now sorely hungover women to justify being awake; turning over back into her now thankfully empty bed, she attempted to relax before dropping back off to sleep.
8 days to go. It appeared that the main focus of everyone's up and coming calendars was Piper's hen party. It was all everyone could talk about; big events such as a wedding as well as the run up to them were few and far between – so on the off occasions they did occur, everyone was sure to go all out. Piper had to admit, she quite enjoyed being the talk of the office; apart from when she was the newbie of the establishment, she'd remained rather under the radar. It was nice to have people have something to say about her for once. Still feeling rather in touch with her inner peace from the spa day, everything seemed to be going well in Piper's life – the rollercoaster ride appeared to be coming to a gradual halt before being shot up in a few days.
Having finally changed into their required robes, alongside consuming enough champagne the familiar gentle buzz was coursing through them; Piper and Polly retreated to their first treatment of the day – a hot tub relaxation hour. Calming meditation music filled every inch of the room as the pair undone their robes before sliding into the pool. 'Shit Pol, this is the good life' Piper whispered as she felt the welcoming feeling of the just-at-the-right-temperature water trickle firstly against her ankles. Slowly submerging herself completely in the water, Piper could feel her muscles relax as the warm water continued to splash over her. Closing her eyes, it was as though her qualms evaporated with the steam upon entering this room. Everything felt so tranquil, so neutral. Piper swore she could kiss Polly for organising this – it was exactly what she needed. The thought of whether Alex would attend the hen night still weighed heavy in the forefront of her mind. Piper could deny the consistent checking of her phone – always eagerly awaiting Alex's contact name to shine bold indicating she'd RSVP'd, but it was yet to happen. Wanting a complete escape, Piper put her phone on airplane mode before going to bed last night; Polly wouldn't need to contact her, and if she did, she had Larry's number. The feeling of being cut off completely from the world was a welcome escape; it was nice to forget about the amount of emails weighing heavy in her phones storage, simply begging to be opened.
Having a relatively calm day allowed Piper to lurk around the staff room for a little while longer than usual. Floating throughout the idle conversations taking place around her, she cherished in the sense of community this work place held, never had she felt so welcomed and home within an occupation quite like this. It was the talk of the wedding dress that pulled her out of the daydream state she'd unintentionally slipped into it; Piper's unwillingness to reveal any grand details regarding the dress was beginning to drive her female colleagues insane. 'Come on Piper, stop being such a bore!' Yoga Jones cried out, 'just tell us something, we're dying over here kid!' She hadn't been called that since she was around Alex; it felt wrong for that nickname to spill from anyone else's lips. Shit, she'd vowed not to allow the dark, alluring woman dominate her thoughts today. Having gathered quite an audience, Piper began to feel slightly pressured into spilling details – she just didn't see the rush when the wedding was only 8 days away now. 'Ok fine, you want a clue?' the cluster of women furiously nodded their heads in unison, 'it's white.' Her attempt of humour earned nothing but a gather of eye rolls and groans; 'fuck you Chapman!' one woman cried out. 'Sorry, but you'll just have to make your inpatient little asses wait eight more days,' feeling smug, Piper turned on her heels, coffee in hand and headed back to her desk space – satisfied with how many colleagues she'd managed to piss off so far.
Plonking herself back on her chair, Piper finally decided to turn her phone back on. Having been dropped off late evening by Polly, who was thankfully designated driver for that night, Piper felt simply too content and relaxed to bother building more knots in her back over the stress of unanswered emails thus decided her phone could continue to be switched off until the following morning. The business wouldn't fall apart without her for one more day. Allowing the stream of notification alerts to flood the acoustics of the confined space, Piper silently prayed there'd be at least one reply sitting amongst the alerts off the one person who was seemingly consuming both her thoughts and energy. Much to both her delight and anxiety, there it was; the banner notifying her Alex had replied. Now faced with a dilemma, Piper was unsure whether to read it now or once at home – she was happy, in a good mood; the uncertainty revolving around the nature of the reply threatened to ruin that.
Toying the device between her nimble hands, it took a grand total of three minutes before Piper eventually caved and slid the banner right in order to open it; slowly entering the passcode, a wave of doubt continued to crash through her mind – she knew this reply would make or break her entire attitude towards the upcoming events. Piper resented Alex for still having this much of a hold over, but also herself for allowing the one person who knew her like the back of her hand to slip away. Closing her eyes whilst inhaling, it took a few seconds before Piper had the courage of reading the text. 'I'll be there.' Piper withdrew the breath; relief washed over her. She was just relieved to have another excuse to see Alex.
3 days to go – Hen Party Day.
Whilst the wedding was still 3 sleeps away, tonight was deemed equally as important. Her last night out as Piper Chapman was evidently important to a lot of people – the sight of 'bride to be' banners graced her as she entered her work space. Her colleagues really did want to go all out. Heading for the staffroom to laugh at their evidently ridiculous efforts, a cup of coffee complete with a straw adoring a plastic dick perched on the tip was not what she'd anticipated as a greeting. 'CHAPMAN, ARE YOU FUCKIN READY FOR TONIGHT?' one of the Hispanic women cried out. She couldn't help but laugh – Piper cherished this sense of belonging her work mates had created for her; she felt privileged to be thought so highly of by women she'd only known just over a year. Bringing the cup to her lips, stealing a slight sip of the contents, Piper's face contorted into one of disgust, 'is there alcohol in this?!' an echo of laughter erupted at this, what Piper believed to, fairly innocent comment. 'Of course there is Chapman!' Big Boo bellowed, 'it's your fucking hen night, we're getting waaaaaasted', the women continued to laugh, and for once in her life, Piper refused to be the sensible WASP she'd been raised to be; today she'd decided would be the day she'd break the rules, let her hair down and have some fun.
Spirits remained light for the rest of the day. The females in on the happenings of tonight continued sneaking various spirits into their coffees whilst Healy continued to turn a knowing blind eye; it was a miracle to have him on board, he's usually the world's biggest crank when it comes to employees having some fun. Piper thanked herself for making such a valiant impression on the man. On their break, a game involving all the workers on their floor of 'pin the tail on the Piper' had been arranged. Whilst under the influence of coffees that had slightly more alcohol in than initially intended, it proved to be a great laugh for those slightly intoxicated; those who were stone cold sober thus blissfully unaware remained perplexed at their co-workers unusual behaviour.
As grateful as she was, the fact that Piper would be graced with Alex's presence tonight still rained heavy in the forefront of her mind; she had so much anxiety regarding it. She didn't know how on earth to handle it – what to say or how to act. Knowing she'd need to hatch a plan before facing the situation, Piper continued to pour the flask of whiskey provided into her coffee in attempts to forget about it for now. This was a good day; Piper didn't want to spoil it.
Alex awoke full of unease that morning; today had been one she'd been dreading ever since she discovered it was occurring. It took her an hour to find the strength to pull herself out of bed; she wasn't depressed, rather just apprehensive to allow today to progress. Getting up meant time continued to tick closer to the time she'd be in Piper's presence; the apprehension was killing her. She found herself pleading for Piper to suddenly change her mind and take her back. Nothing felt the same without her; the lack of secret meetings and the fact her scent was once again slowly fading from her possessions, Alex couldn't bare it.
Whilst brooding over her first cup of coffee that day, Alex's door was met with an eager knock, Nicky. Walking nonchalantly to grant her best friend entrance, she was slightly taken aback at the fact she practically skipped into the building. Taking her into a hurried embrace, Nicky appeared to have come with an agenda. 'VAUSE MY LADY MY LESBIAN, TODAY IS THE DAY,' completely confused with what Nicky was on about, Alex raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow towards her, 'Nichols what the fuck are you talking about?' 'VAUSE TODAY IS THE DAY WE GET YOU YOUR GIRL BACK!' Her incessantly loud tone was making Alex want to gauge her eyes out; it was far too early in the day to be dealing with Nicky's lack of volume control. That outburst was enough to land an angered look upon Alex's face; she didn't appreciate being messed with. 'Nichols, whatever the fuck you have planned, forget it. Me and Piper are going to talk, and I don't know if you've noticed but this is her HEN PARTY, the thing people do before they get MARRIED, meaning I have absolutely NO CHANCE of that happening.' Nicky shot her friend a smirk, oh how she loved a challenge, 'If you say so Vause. I'm bringing Lorna tonight by the way – I don't care whether Piper agrees or not, I can't deal with being the only homo there whilst you and Chapman have make up sex in the toilets.' Alex shot her that look again – she knew how serious Nicky was being and she hated it, purely because she couldn't stray any further from the truth.
The group staggered out of the office at closing hours. With a day filled of pre-pre drinks, they were satisfyingly drunk enough to have emerged into the party spirit, anticipating the positive, exciting night ahead. Everyone that is, except for Piper. She felt sick at the prospect of tonight; the closer it got, the more she wished it wasn't happening. The thought of seeing Alex whilst she was getting ready to kiss away the non-married life made her heart twist. Everything felt so unfair; for once Piper was beginning to realise the wrongness of her actions, better late than never.
Willing the negativity and doubts that were currently plaguing her, she continued to stumble her way to the hotel her colleagues had rented for the night to begin getting ready. It was nothing fancy; just something that meant they didn't have to worry about designated drivers or getting home tonight – they were finally allowed to have a night off. Having all strategically booked the following day off work; funny how a group of ten could all simultaneously have doctors and dentist appointments on the same day, isn't it? They were free to drink what and when they liked.
The 10 minute walk turned into a half an hour trek; having stopped to laugh at a member of the group who'd seemingly tripped over as the challenge of walking over uneven streets with too much Vodka flowing through her was just too much. Finally arriving, they all threw their belongings, leaving them wherever they so happened to land and poured themselves a drink. Whoever had organised it had requested a few bottles of their finest champagne in light of the celebratory mood, and they intended to have it all gone by the time they arrived at their designated party venue.
Drink at the ready, Alex finally admitted defeat and began getting ready. Butterflies scrambled amongst her stomach; she really didn't want to attend tonight. Everything felt doomed; like tonight would simply slice open wounds that were just started to scab. Ignoring her gut instinct, she flicked the switch of her curling iron on before proceeding to sift through her wardrobe for something to wear. Wanting to impress, but not wanting to look like she'd made too much of an effort, Alex finally decided on a royal blue off the shoulder body con dress that sat comfortable mid-thigh, not to mention the fact it hugged her in all the right places; this was it. This dress flaunted all her assets and made her feel good – she knew that was half the battle of tonight.
Continuing to sip nervously at the double malt whiskey she'd poured herself, Alex began to manage the task of curling her hair into an acceptable style; loose curls that draped accordingly over her chest – drawing attention to her modest breasts. She was pulling out all the stops tonight in order to impress Piper – show her what she really was missing out on. Satisfied with her hair, she went on to apply a thin layer of make up; her eyeliner flicks were good tonight – not too bold but still brought out the crystal clear blue hues that were shielded by contact lenses tonight. Finally, her lips became covered in a slightly more subtle tone of red lipstick than usual tonight, she wanted to be able to talk to Piper whilst holding eye contact; not Piper staring at her lips – making the urge to kiss her harder to resist.
She decided to wait until both Nicky and Lorna arrived before putting her dress on, thus continued to lounge around in her sweats. Finally reverting to delving into a book in a pathetic attempt to not only calm her nerves but to stop watching the clock, Alex remained distracted for the moment.
It was about an hour until they were set to depart; the room was chaotic. A group of women attempting to hog every accessible space of reflective surface possible was always set to be trouble – but they'd never imagined this. A group of four crouched over the main, full length mirror in the main bedroom whilst 3 over the bathroom mirror – the remaining three simply continued to drink whilst the rush died down. Piper was reaching the point of intoxication now; her body felt fuzzy and her head felt numb. Good. Having previously done her make up prior to the rush, she was able to continue to sit and drink the time away. Deciding on a black body con dress splattered with patterns of grey, Piper decided it was best waiting until last minute before putting it on – in fear of spilling anything down it.
With music booming out of the surround sound speakers, the mood was very much uplifting.
I am a fire, you're gasoline,
Come pour yourself all over me
We'll let this place go down in flames only one more time
Allowing the steady bass to pump through her, Piper joined the few girls who'd taken to dancing at the foot of one of the beds provided. The lyrics couldn't help but revert her mind back to Alex – suddenly overcome with worry; Piper was filled with anxiety about coming face to face with her for what she feared would be the final time.
Precisely four glasses of whiskey, four shots of tequila and two vodka and cokes each later, the trio embarked into the night; all filled with apprehension for the events that were waiting to be drawn out. Nicky had informed Lorna the happenings of tonight – she completely empathised with Alex; going on to explain how she'd been in a situation similar with a man named Christopher before she'd met Nicky.
'Man I cannot remember the last time I was this fucking wasted before even getting to a party' Nicky slurred. With Lorna's arm in hers, Alex accompanying her other side, she was momentarily able to forget the impending doom that was awaiting her best friend tonight and just soak in the happiness she was currently experiencing.
Finally arriving at their destination; the hen party were greeted to a platter of varying drinks with varying degrees of strength; of course they all opted for the strongest spirits available. The venue was nice; a sophisticated club that was yet to reach its peak. The business of the club was irrelevant however – with colleague Brooke Soso booking them all a VIP booth for the special occasion. An employee unclipped the red rope, granting them all access to their playground for tonight. With a steady flow of alcohol as well as rhythmic pumping of a constant bass greeting them, the party continued to embark in a game of 'Laughing Man' in which pairs would have to make noises whilst keeping a straight face – the one to break out into laughter was forced to take a shot. This continued for a while, until the presence of three visibly drunk women greeted the group.
Piper swear she felt her heart immediately stop – she'd admittedly pushed the thought of Alex to the back of her head for the time being. Seeing her here, in the flesh, acted like a slap in the face.
Time felt as though it had stood still as the blonde and the brunette continued to lavish in the sight of each other; both desperate to rip the skin tight dresses they were both sporting but both painfully aware of the moral boundaries restricting that happening.
Piper nervously arose from her seat to introduce the trio to her colleagues, 'Uh, guys' it wasn't until now did she realise just how drunk she was – she was beginning to struggle to get her words out. 'These are my friends Alex, Nicky and Lorna' Piper was slightly confused by Lorna's presence, but she didn't mind. As long as Alex was here, the Queen of Sheba could turn up unnoticed for all she cared.
Piper's colleagues failed to so much as bat an eyelid in apprehension before inviting the new girls into the group to continue playing their game.
Things continued for a while whilst Piper and Alex continued to be as far away from each other as possible whilst taking any opportunity they could to steal glances of one another. They somehow managed to lose sense of being whilst doing so, it wasn't until Nicky cried out did they snap out of their glares. 'CHAPMAN, YOU BLINKED – VAUSE WINS!' Nicky roared over the volume of the music, eliciting a choir of laughs from their company. Rummaging through her purse, she pulled out a cluster of candy necklaces, gaining a few confused looks. 'RIGHT MY LADIES, IT IS TIME FOR A NEW GAME!' handing her company a necklace each, she attempted to pull one over her wild mane that sat atop of her head – the rest of the ladies following her actions. 'THE AIM OF THIS GAME IS TO HAVE ALL OF YOUR BEADS EATEN OFF BY A...WAIT FOR IT…COMPLETE AND UTTER FUCKING STRANGER!' The nature of this game made all the women excited; they all simply loved daring games like these. 'WHOEVER GETS ALL THEIR CANDIES EATEN OFF FIRST, WINS! 3…2….1…GO!' With that, the group shot off out of the booth to begin their competition, leaving only a reluctant Alex and Piper.
Nicky had previously explained her plan to Alex; she'd get the rest of the group involved in a game that would steal them away from the venue long enough for Alex and Piper to talk. Having first been apprehensive of this; Alex was now mentally praising Nicky and her never failing people skills
'Soooo, Pipes' Alex stumbled on her words; everything felt hypersensitive. She didn't know whether it was the alcohol or the sheer nerves wracking through her, but she didn't want to mess this up. Sensing her apprehension, Piper slid a secretive hand over the top of Alex's that was resting on the edge of the table. Piper was really, really fucking drunk. With enough liquid confidence in her, she vowed to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the fucking truth. 'Relax baby, its okay.' Alex didn't know whether to pass this off as too much alcohol or genuine affection, 'Pipes, we need to ta-', before Alex could finish her sentence, she was met with crashing lips with the lingering remnants of Sambuca pleading for entry into her mouth. Instinctively granting Piper access, the pair continued to explore the realms of each-other's mouths; both begging for dominance. God bless Nicky Nichols and her fiendish planning.
A/N: Aaaaaand we'll leave it there! I'm really excited to write the next few chapters, and hopefully you're all excited to read them. As always leave a review if you're feeling generous. X