Alex made dinner reservations the following week at Per Se, a restaurant on Piper's bucket list. The couple had cocktails at the bar, and within the first ten minutes, a teenage girl came up to them, asking for a photo op. (She shouldn't have been in that section of the restaurant, but Piper didn't point that out to the girl.)
"You sure about this?" Alex whispered.
"It was bound to happen." Piper tossed her arm over Alex's shoulders and leaned her head against the brunette's. "Let's give them something to talk about."
Alex grabbed Piper's dangling fingertips as the teenager's mother snapped the shot.
"I'm so glad you two are back together." The teen blushed.
The couple was interrupted once more for an autograph by a 20-something woman, and then they were shown to their table. Piper thought she'd be more uncomfortable than she actually was, considering everything that had transpired over the past several months. Larry's interview on Good Day L.A. did him no favors as far as the blonde was concerned—all hopes of an eventual friendship went out the door after he aired their dirty laundry on television. All Piper had wanted to do was keep her personal life private, and Larry had thrown a wrench into that.
"You look gorgeous, if I haven't told you already," Alex said, reaching for the blonde's hand across the table.
Piper had on an Anthropologie dress that was fitted white cotton on the top and blush-colored, tulle that flared just a bit on the bottom. Alex, on the other hand, was wearing a black pant suit that she'd had custom made a few weeks ago. Piper had a hard time taking her eyes off of her lover's outfit. There was something so powerful and sexy about the brunette, and it reminded Piper very much of their time together in Europe. She had to tell herself that those days were long gone, because the anxiety that inevitably creeped up when she compared them as a couple today to who they were 12 years ago, would make her question her decision to rekindle the romance.
Piper rubbed the inside of her lover's wrist. "So do you."
"Are you still ok with everything, or are you just 'fake' ok?" Alex brought the blonde's knuckles to her lips.
"I'm fine, really." She used her free hand to brush her hair behind one ear. "I wouldn't want to run into Larry or anything, but I'm good."
The couple ate the seven course dinner together, feeling stares directed at them throughout the meal, but Piper refused to let that distract her time with Alex. For her part, Alex did an excellent job of keeping her distracted with conversation and intimate looks. They were able to act like a normal couple, enjoying a night on the town, and Piper figured it would get easier as the public lost interest in their ordinariness.
When they finished dinner two hours later, the women locked hands and walked down the bustling street to Alex's apartment.
"I think someone is recording us," Alex said, twisting her head around but continuing their pace. She tried to release Piper's hand, but the blonde wouldn't have it.
"No." She tugged Alex's hand, entwining their fingers and squeezing hard. "Let them."
"If you're sure…" Alex grinned.
"The only person who doesn't want us together is Larry. Well, maybe Polly and my parents, but they'll get over it," Piper began, turning the corner. "Everyone else still seems to be rooting for us. Let's allow them to have a glimpse of us as a couple, and their fascination will be over before we know it."
The dark haired woman adjusted her glasses. "Is that what Blair told you?"
"She wants us to make an official statement about being back together, but I'm not comfortable with that." Piper lifted and then kissed the back of Alex's hand. "If Larry goes on another show or does an interview, commenting on the photos or video of the two of us together that will undoubtedly surface on the Internet after this little outing, I'll be able to say that I'm just living my life—simple as that." She shrugged.
"What about the weirdos on the Internet?" Alex let out a soft laugh. "Team Vauseman."
Piper let out a snort of her own. "There's no satiating them. Have you read some of those stories?"
"Fuck, no," Alex replied. "That stuff doesn't freak you out?"
"The concept of it didn't, but after reading a couple of them, yeah, it's pretty disturbing." A smile crossed her face. "There was this one called Liminal Space that featured you as a teacher and me as a student."
"And obviously, we fell in love," the brunette commented with an eye roll.
"That's about the size of it."
They walked up the four steps to Alex's building, and while Piper put the key in the door (Alex had made her a set of keys the week before), Alex leaned over, moving blonde hair to the side and placing a few kisses on her neck. "Wanna role play?"
"What are you doing?" Piper giggled, squirming away.
"I'm the teacher, kissing my student," she whispered, nipping at the skin just below her ear.
"Ew, that's disgusting!" The blonde opened the door and drug her inside.
"If we were to role play, what would we do?" Alex put her hands on Piper's hips and resumed kissing her neck.
"Maybe you'd be a bad ass art thief or something." She tilted her head, giving Alex more flesh to kiss.
The dark haired woman pulled back. "Then I'd go to prison. No, thanks."
"How about this..." Piper put her hands flat on Alex's chest. "You're this hypnotizingly beautiful ex-con, and I'm this wicked talented writer, who also happens to be a former prisoner."
Alex laughed and kissed her firmly on the mouth. "I like it."
The women didn't make it to the bed before stripping down to nothing and going at it right there on the living room floor.
The very next day, a video of Alex and Piper surfaced on TMZ, and Blair was on the phone with Piper minutes after it hit the Web. The blonde still showed no remorse for their actions, and Blair had to commend her client on being true to herself. Still, there was "stuff" to clean up, but Piper still paid her publicist handsomely to do exactly that.
"There's something else in the works that I should have an update on by the end of the day," Blair said.
"Will I like it?" She batted Alex's hands off of her breasts.
"I don't know, but I'm not spilling the beans before it's a sure thing."
"Fine." She had to physically remove herself from Alex's naked body and turn completely away from her voluptuous breasts to concentrate on the call. "Alex and I are going apartment hunting today."
"You two only know one speed, and that's full steam ahead." She pictured Blair rolling her eyes.
"We have 12 years to make up for," the blonde replied, turning around to watch Alex slip on a blue Human Rights Campaign t-shirt.
"Good luck finding a place. I'll be in touch later this afternoon." Blair hung up.
"What was that about?" Alex opened her laptop and typed in TMZ.
"I don't know." Piper scratched her head. "She was rather cryptic, but something else is in the works…whatever that means."
The women watched the 60 second clip, and as expected, it was of the two of them walking back from the restaurant and playfully kissing on the stoop.
"We're cute," Piper commented, chin resting on her lover's shoulder.
"We are." She twisted her head and kissed whatever part of Piper's body her lips landed on, which happened to be her jawline.
The women had appointments to see three apartments that day, and the last one they saw on the Upper Westside was by far the most desirable. The only problem was that rent was $1,000 more per month than the other two. Piper insisted that they develop a list of pros and cons about each unit, but Alex saw no purpose in that activity due to the one major con with the unit they loved: the cost.
The blonde had made more money on the sales of her memoir than she ever anticipated and offered to pay as much of the rent as she needed for them to live comfortably, but Alex wouldn't budge on being equal contributors. She was still doing some freelance work with the Human Rights Campaign, but unless she moved to DC, it would be nothing more than supplemental income. The Vice President of Programs at GLAAD was gunning for Alex to join their team, but the brunette hadn't had an official interview yet. If she were to be hired full time by GLAAD, that would surely allow her to pay her share of the rent without a problem.
Blair texted Piper on their way back from the viewings, asking if she could meet with her and Alex to share some exciting news. This can't wait, the publicist wrote.
Although Alex's apartment was indeed tiny, it was suitable enough for a meeting with Blair.
"Hi, Piper." Blair kissed her on the cheek. "Alex." She nodded her hello to the brunette.
"What's going on?" Piper motioned for Blair to sit in an armchair, while she joined Alex on the sofa.
"I'll just cut to the chase. An executive at Netflix contacted me a few weeks ago, and we've been in constant communication ever since." Blair's eyes darted between the women until landing on the blonde. "Piper, they want to turn your book into a series."
Both women's eyes shot open wide and they said in unison, "No fucking way."
The End
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