Change Of Heart
Chapter Ten
My first week at my new job had gone surprisingly well, considering my limited experience and the extremely repetitive work. The restaurant owner and friend of my fathers, Jason, took a liking to me and my enthusiasm after my first day and gave me almost full time hours with the best shifts I could ask for. I wasn't used to working, especially after the last three years, but I found myself falling into the routine easily. I was a natural people pleaser, as my brother had once claimed, and so smiling and good customer service came easily to me. All I had to do was greet the people with my best grin, take their order and ignore them staring at my ass when I walked away. Easy.
It was my last shift of the week, on a Friday, and I was looking forward to my weekend off, finding myself glancing at the clock as time seemed to pass incredibly slow. It was almost eight thirty and my shift finished at ten, which was when I could go home and open the bottle of wine that was waiting for me on my kitchen bench before having a Grey's Anatomy marathon. Callie had just asked that cute pediatric surgeon on a date and I was interested to see what happened.
I suppressed a groan when the restaurant door opened, forcing a smile onto my face as I turned to greet the next patrons.
"Hi, I'm-"
"Piper," A familiar voice finished for me; one that I never expected to hear again. "Piper Chapman."
It took a moment for the dark red hair and the bright smile to register in my mind. "Jae?"
The tall, beautiful owner of an art gallery in San Francisco grinned at me, her dark blue eyes twinkling as she took in my uniform. "I didn't know that you worked here."
"I didn't know that you'd be here," I shot back with a small laugh, feeling awkward and unattractive in my plain black shirt and skirt uniform. I took a moment to notice the unnervingly attractive brunette on Jae's arm, who was giving me a glare that I was sure would burn through my skull. "I thought you lived in San Francisco."
"I do," Jae agreed. "A friend of mine has a showing here tomorrow night, and I came down for the weekend. There's some art that I'm interested in for my gallery."
"Right, well," I found myself flustered over nothing and I had to clear my throat before I could continue. "A table for two, is it?"
"If you have one available," Jae gave me a charming smile and I grinned as I gestured for her to follow me, along with the viper on her arm. I seated them at one of the nicer tables, a quiet and secluded table by the window, with a nice view of the garden outside before leaving them to look over their menus and with a promise to come back with our best bottle of wine. I went to the bar and grabbed a bottle of Chteau Margaux, 1995 and poured two glasses of the dark liquid, wishing desperately for one of my own.
I hardly remembered the night that I met Jae, back at the hotel bar in Florida, the night before Alex's mother's funeral. I had been drunk and beyond flirtatious, and had then run out on the woman when she offered to take things a little further. And now, here she was, with a woman who was probably a supermodel, ordering the best wine the restaurant had to offer.
How different my life might have been, I thought to myself as I carried the wine glasses back to the table, if I had been with someone like Jae instead of Alex.
I wouldn't be working here, that's for sure, I thought as I put one glass down in front of Jae before turning and placing down the other glass in front of her date. The woman glared at me and I sighed internally, just knowing that the last hour of my shift was going to drag unbearably.
/
"Hey, Piper!"
I groaned inside as I slipped into my jacket, smiling weakly at Jae who I had spent the rest of my shift serving, causing me to stay back for an extra half an hour. The red headed woman had been more than polite and kind, but her date had been the bitch from hell, complaining about the food and more importantly, the service, which had almost caused my well known and feared temper to boil over. Fortunately, my boss had understood the real issue and hadn't been angry, and I'd been only too glad to see the couple leave and for my shift to end.
"Hey," I said tonelessly as Jae snuffed out her cigarette and moved closer, having apparently been waiting for me outside of the restaurant. I was tired and I wanted to go home, but I decided to spare a few minutes for the red head, unable to turn away from such a sincere smile.
"Look, I'm really sorry about all of that," Jae said apologetically as she gestured towards the restaurant. "Marisa is gorgeous, but she's kind of a giant bitch."
"Kind of?" I snorted sarcastically, and was rewarded with a smile from the red headed woman. "Seriously, what are you doing with that she devil?"
"Business," Jae shrugged with a half grimace on her face. "She's a good friend of an artist that I'm a fan of, who is impossible to get close to. His work is fucking amazing and to have even one piece of it in my gallery would be huge."
"Still not worth it," I said, though I smiled to take the sting from my words.
"Ain't that the truth," Jae chuckled before turning surprisingly serious. "I really did want to apologize though and I want to make it up to you. I've got that showing tomorrow night and I want you to come with me. There's free food and alcohol and Marisa will be there, and it'll really piss her off if I showed up with you."
I couldn't help but laugh at the red head's diabolical smile as I considered her offer. I didn't have anything planned and I'd never been to an art showing before. "How can I refuse an offer like that? Plus, I did just buy a really hot dress the other day."
"Wear it and I'll pick you up at eight."
"All right," I laughed, taking the pen and piece of paper that Jae offered me and writing down my address, for what I'm pretty sure sounded like a date.
/
"Wow, this is gorgeous!"
I wasn't entirely sure what it was, but the colours were vivid and the piece definitely stood out from the other almost gloomy paintings, hanging on the gallery walls. As promised, Jae had picked me up at eight in her black BMW, looking more than handsome in her tight black jeans and suit jacket. The trip to the gallery had been full of information, about the artist and his paintings and the venue, helping me to feel at ease as we entered through the gallery doors.
She was so different from what I was used to; so different from Alex.
Even though she was practically a stranger, I found that Jae only ever made me feel comfortable and secure, while Alex had been unpredictable and preferred me off balance. Even her greeting as I had opened my apartment door had been so different to what I'd gotten used to over the past three years. Alex's eyes had always darkened with desire upon seeing me in a new, sexy dress or piece of lingerie, while Jae's eyes had positively lit up upon seeing the tight black dress that clung to my curves in all the right places. Alex conveyed how she felt through touch, a hand on the small of my back or a kiss pressed to my temple, while Jae chose words and actions, telling me that I was beautiful and holding open doors for me.
It was change and it was good.
"One of his newer pieces," Jae offered as she studied the painting, offering me a glass of champagne that she'd taken from a passing waitress. "Are you enjoying the show?"
"It's... different," the word summed up my whole experience of the night so far and Jae gave me a knowing smile.
"Different is good," Jae grinned as she took a sip of her drink. "I can live with different. Did you want to go outside? Marisa is heading over here and while watching her reactions when we entered was fun, I'm not in the mood for her bitching."
I smirked as I nodded my assent, catching a glimpse of the furious brunette as I followed Jae through the open doors leading into a small but beautiful garden behind the gallery. I took a moment to gaze the many different flowers before turning to my companion, who was studying me with her dark blue eyes. "What?"
"Nothing," she smiled brightly, which was again so different from Alex's amused smirk. It was open instead of mysterious, though it failed to send the same shivers down my spine. "So, what are you doing working in that restaurant, Piper Chapman?"
"Getting by," I shrugged nonchalantly, continuing when Jae raised her eyebrow in further question. "I needed a job and there isn't much going for an English Literature major in New York, so I took what was offered. It's not forever, but it's enough for now."
"I could give you a job, something more worthwhile than waiting tables," Jae offered casually, though her eyes were serious. "Though it would involve you moving to San Fran, but from what you've told me, you have no problem with travelling. It kills me to see such potential wasted."
"I can't," I chuckled at Jae's disappointed pout. "I just moved into a new apartment and got my life back on track. Plus, my best friend's wedding is in a few months and I'm her maid of honor. I can't leave just yet."
"Yet?" Jae prodded with a grin that crinkled the corners of her expressive eyes. "So, you're saying I should offer it again in a few months?"
"Sure," I thought, smiling at the possibility of a new adventure. "In a few months."
"I can't wait."
/
I closed the door to my apartment, leaning my back against the wood as I breathed out a quiet sigh and closed my eyes. The rest of the night with Jae had gone spectacularly, right up until a few minutes ago, when the redhead had leant in to kiss me good bye. She was an amazing person and she had been funny and kind all night, not to mention the fact that she was ridiculously attractive, and I had wanted it, wanted the kiss, just like I had found myself wanting her the first night we met. And when she kissed me, it was different, as I had expected. It had been much like her in a way, gentle and sweet, and not at all what I was used to.
And I found myself missing that familiarity not for the first time in the last few weeks; missing Alex's lips and the taste of home.
I dropped my head back against the door, cursing myself and my need to compare everyone I met to Alex Vause. Alex was dangerous and untrustworthy, and now that I had found someone who was honest and safe, I found myself missing the thrill that came with the unknown that Alex Vause represented.
I found my thoughts drifting years into the past as I thought about Alex; a trip to Krakatoa, to be precise.
"I think it would be fun."
"What?" I looked up from my lunch and at Alex, whose gray eyes were focused on the waterfall before us, at least thirty five feet tall and gushing thousands of gallons of water a second into the beautiful clear pool below it.
"To jump from up there," Alex eyes were sparkling with mischief, a look that I was far too familiar with. I raised an eyebrow at the brunette before glancing up at the top of the falls, noticing a small landing that could be used for said jumping.
"I dare you," Alex said suddenly, laughing as I turned to face her with wide eyes. "I double dare you!"
"Fuck no!"
"Come on, Pipes," the sparkle was bright in Alex's eyes. "Think of the stories we'll have!"
"Have you seen people jump?" I asked our guide, who was sitting on a rock a few feet away as I contemplated Alex's dare.
"Oh yes, miss," he said with an amused smile.
"Have you ever jumped?"
"On no, miss!" He said with a small laugh, still smiling.
I turned back to Alex and caught a quick flash of something in her eyes, something that had been bothering me since the moment I met her. The look she had that said 'You'll never do it' because Alex still considered me to be that WASPy blonde that she'd picked up in a bar. The woman who wanted the adventure of Alex's life, but none of the dangers that came with it. And I hated that; I hated the looks I got from her friends and colleagues, and the people we met on our travels who wondered why a woman with as much experience as Alex travelled with wide eyed debutante like me.
And so I shrugged my shoulders and stood to climb up the path that led to the top of the waterfall, grinning as I heard Alex's surprised but delighted laughter as she followed me. The sound was so loud when I reached the top and as I stepped onto the slippery ledge that overlooked the clear pool so far below me, I hardly heard Alex shout from her spot behind me.
"Piper, maybe this wasn't such a good idea! You don't have to do this!"
I started to think that Alex was right; that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But the ledge was wet and slick and I realized too late that there was no way back, so with one final look over my shoulder at Alex's concerned face; I threw myself off the ledge.
Those few seconds of freefalling were the most exhilarating of my life as I felt myself plummet towards the water at high speed. I laughed in midair before I hit the water with a splash and when I burst through the surface, I was grinning wildly. My heart was still pounding in my chest when moments later, Alex jumped off the ledge, her yell drowning out my laughter as she hit the water to my left before surfacing.
"You are crazy!" Alex laughed as she pushed her dark hair away from her face and swam to my side.
"You mean, you wouldn't have gone if I hadn't jumped?" The laughter died in my throat and my heart pounded in my chest for an entirely different reason as Alex laughed and shook her head.
"No fucking way!"
Yes, I realized as I leant against the door, I missed the thrill of free falling with Alex, but I should have known then that Alex Vause couldn't be trusted. She would never be there to catch me because she was too busy free falling herself.
Idiot, my brain screamed at me as I made my way to my bedroom, unzipping my dress as I walked. I let the soft fabric pool around my feet before stepping out of it, kicking off my heels and throwing my purse onto the bedside table before lying down on the bed in my underwear. I considered getting up to take a shower, but dismissed the thought and pulled the blanket around myself instead.
My phone went off from inside my purse and I rolled over sluggishly, the alcohol in my system making my movements slow. I took the cell from my purse, wondering idly if it was Jae, who had taken my number after promising that she would indeed return in a few months to make her second offer, but it wasn't her.
Alex:
I miss you, kid.
It was if she had read my thoughts, even from thousands of miles away. My thumb hovered over the call button for minutes before I turned off the screen and placed the phone back on my bedside table. I pushed myself up off the bed and made my way to the bathroom, deciding that a shower wouldn't be such a bad idea, after all.