- 11 -
The hotel suite was quiet. The lights were dimmed. No background music that was usually coming from the high-tech stereo system. No TV sound. No one was talking. No noise of Laura playing with her Lego blocks in the corner of the living room. No rattling of plates or cutlery from the kitchen. Just pristine silence.
Alex was lying on the sofa with a book in her hand but she wasn't reading it. Instead of that she was simply staring at the ceiling, her eyes blinking from time to time. Normally, such silence was her safe heaven after long days in recording studios, days filled with interviews, promotion and shows. This used to be her escape. This wonderful silence. Except, now it felt empty. The lack of any sound made the brunette anxious. This wasn't natural anymore. What was normal now were Laura's squeals and Piper's giggling. The voices of cartoon characters coming from her TV set and the soft music of Sade played by Piper. Laura's grumbling over her homework and Piper's frustrated hiss when she was trying to force her daughter to study.
Soon there will only be silence again.
Alex's eyebrows furrowed. A sudden sadness with something close to panic engulfed her heart with surprising force, almost knocking the air out of her lungs.
She rubbed her face with a frustrated sigh.
For Christ sake, hold it together, Vause.
"Are you okay?" Piper's worried voice made the brunette drop her hands to her sides again and look up at her friend. Furrowed eyebrows, tense lips and cheeks a bit paler than a moment before. Great. Act like a psycho, Vause. Scare the shit out of her. "Is it your hand? Does it hurt?" The blonde walked around the sofa to kneel down next to it but before she managed to grab Alex's hand, the singer sat up and chuckled.
"Pipes, I'm perfectly fine." She patted the sofa next to her, inviting Piper to sit down next to her. "Stop worrying about me. How's Laura?" She smiled up at her.
Piper had insisted that they would go according to the original plan and let Nicky and Lorna bring the girl to the hotel suite. For a moment Alex had argued that maybe it would have been for the best if Piper had had a little moment to herself to cool off but then the blonde had said that she refused to let Larry dictate her life ever again... And that argument had won the fight.
Now Piper was sitting next to Alex on the sofa, obviously exhausted after the whole highly difficult day. She had just put Laura to bed and that's why the whole suite was quiet. It was almost 10 pm but the brunette herself didn't feel like sleeping at all. In fact, she felt weirdly agitated. Maybe the adrenaline from it all was still pumping in her veins. Either way, she knew that sleep wouldn't come that night easily.
Piper's voice once again made Alex return to the reality from the abyss of her mind. "Laura had a great time with Nicky and Lorna today. She couldn't stop talking about a huge pink unicorn stuffed with candy. I'm actually surprised she fell asleep so fast after consuming all that sugar." The blonde chuckled, her eyes sparkling like always when she talked about her daughter.
The soft expression on Piper's face evoked a smile on Alex's lips as well. She loved seeing her friend like that. Utterly happy about her kid. "But she hates pink. How come she liked the unicorn?" The singer couldn't hide the surprise in her voice.
"Well, I guess the candy did the trick." Piper laughed.
"Yeah, candy can do that. Each time." The brunette grinned. "Speaking of which... Wine?" She raised her eyebrow at Piper, making her giggle.
"Wine?"
"Yeah, candy for adults." Alex grinned again. "Well... Yours is the kid type, but you'll survive."
Piper huffed in frustration as she put her head on the sofa's back rest and closed her eyes. "Fuck, I would do anything for a glass of something stronger than that juice." She said in a whiny voice.
"Anything?" The singer laughed softly as she opened the fridge to get the bottles of wine. One for her and the other for her friend.
"Anything." Alex jumped when she heard Piper's voice right behind her own back. She spilled a little of red wine onto the kitchen counter and the blonde started to laugh. "Since when you're so jumpy?" She sniggered, satisfied that she was able to startle the brunette even just a bit.
"You know you can't drink any alcohol until your doctor officially allows you." Alex stared to say but she stopped in her tracks when she turned around to face Piper's eyes. Piper's big blue puppy eyes with begging pouting lips. The singer cleared her throat and gave the blonde her, alcohol-free, glass of wine. "Nope. Not gonna happen." She finally stated and passed her friend to get back to the comfy sofa. She laughed when she heard Piper's frustrated huff.
"But the visit is just on Tuesday. What difference can two days make?" The blonde plopped down next to Alex, her unhappiness still clearly evident in her voice.
"You don't know if he clears you to drink alcohol." Alex continued to pretend that she was completely oblivious to Piper's puppy eyes. She took up the book she had dropped before and started to scan her eyes through the text. "Besides you sound like an alcoholic." She finally chuckled when she felt the blonde smack her arm, a bit harder than she had expected. "Ouch." Alex looked Piper in the eye. "And it's still a 'no', babe." She laughed softly when she felt another hit from her friend. And then she saw Piper shifting her body in such a way that now her head was resting in Alex's lap. "What are you doing?" The brunette smiled down at her. She loved the new position but was surprised at it.
"Getting comfy, because you're going to read to me." Piper stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole wide world. "You have your real wine to relax you. I have your voice." She made Alex move a bit so she could lay more comfortably while still being able to sip on her wine without spilling everything onto herself and the sofa. "Go on." She motioned with her hand.
So... What other choice did Alex have? She smiled to herself and tried to focus on the text of the book she was currently reading. Her voice was smooth like velvet to Piper's ears and the blonde couldn't hide a big grin. Real Alex was better than the best wine in that goddamn city.
XxXxX
Monday morning was crazy... to say the least. It was simply frantic. Alex had forgotten to set her alarm clock and now she and Laura were running around the suite with the speed of light, trying to get ready as fast as they possibly could. Piper was trying to help them but at some point the brunette forced her to sit down on the still unmade sofa. She was just getting in their way.
The blonde was surprised at how well Alex had managed to braid Laura's hair in express time, feed her and grab all the things the girl needed for the day. The singer herself had just managed to throw some hoodie at herself and some random pants.
Black sunglasses, baseball cap, car keys. Last 'Love ya' from Laura and 'I'll grab breakfast, kid' from Alex. Thump of the door. Silence.
Piper laughed to herself. The suite was once again quiet but unlike Alex, Piper didn't feel anxiety creeping up her spine because of it. She lied down on the sofa and continued to chuckle. I could get used to that. She grinned. Maybe with a little bit more slow motion. She took a deep breath. The pillow still smelled like Alex and the blonde turned her head to the side to get a better sample of that beloved fragrance. A hint of perfume and Alex herself. For Christ sake, hold it together, Chapman. She closed her eyes and inhaled again.
Although she had still been married to Larry and her surname was still officially Bloom, Piper had thought of herself as a Chapman. Soon that would be true also on the paper and she smiled brightly upon thinking about that. She would be single again.
"And what now?" She asked herself as her eyebrows furrowed. "Well, only future holds the answer to that." She concluded finally. Take a step at a time.
She smelled the pillow again. She tried to stop herself from being sentimental but some things were stronger than her. Her eyes were still a little heavy. She hadn't slept so well during the night. Laura was tossing and turning and sold her even a few kicks. Sleeping next to a small girl was never an easy task, even in that huge bed. Before she knew it, Piper drifted into a peaceful sleep.
The sun was shining like crazy even though it was still very early in the morning and it was just the beginning of June. Luckily, this time there was no wind on the beach and the ocean was peaceful as ever. Due to the early hour they were there almost completely alone, except for a few dog walkers, but they were far away from them.
The brunette was stretching her body on a big navy blue blanket. Her sweatshirt had ridden up her tummy and now Piper could see a narrow strip of her pale stomach. She felt her fingertips tingle, daring her to reach out her hand and touch that wonderfully soft and warm skin but she stopped herself.
Instead of that, she lied down on her side next to Alex, her blue eyes never leaving the so kissable lips of the woman before her. Just thinking what those lips were capable of doing, made a pleasant shiver run down Piper's spine. And then the brunette turned her head and looked her straight in her eye. Her green orbs were like magnets, holding her sight captive. The blonde couldn't look away even if she tried. And she didn't want to try.
Piper felt a warm palm stroking her cheek tenderly and she could swear right there and right then that that simple gesture was more than enough to make her whole being come to life. It made her crave life. That woman in front of her was her life. How could she have ever had any doubts about the brunette?
Alex was still staring straight at her, her eyebrows furrowed a bit as if she was worried about something and Piper knew what that something was. The moment she realized that, she wanted to wipe that concern out of the brunette's mind immediately. She wanted her to smile that toothy grin at her, see that tender glint in her eye.
"I choose you." Piper whispered.
The moment she uttered those words, she was rewarded with that beloved pearly full smile and Piper thought her heart would burst with happiness. She felt million butterflies awaken in the pit of her stomach, forcing a giggle out of her.
"I love you so much." She whispered once again to the brunette as she felt her stroke her cheek with that warm inviting palm of her hand.
"Pipes..." The brunette whispered back.
"What is it?" She asked as she put her own hand on Alex's and smiled at her.
"Pipes..."
Piper furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when Alex didn't answer to her question.
"Pipes..."
What the hell?
"Pipes..." Alex shook gently the blonde's healthy arm. "Hey, kid, wake up..." She chuckled when she realized that her friend had fallen asleep when she was gone. The brunette was actually sorry to wake her up but she had no other choice. Even though she was still on holiday, this Monday was quite busy for her and she needed the blonde up. "Good dream?" She asked when she finally noticed Piper open her blues.
"What?" The blonde sat up a bit and brushed her eyes, her voice still full of sleep, making her sound confused... and adorable.
"You were smiling in your dream." Alex threw her that toothy grin and Piper thought she would fucking cry. Her throat was tight and she had to blink several times to keep the tears at bay. And of course the brunette noticed the distressed look immediately. "Is everything alright?" She asked full of worry now.
"Yeah, of course." The blonde finally managed to utter a strained laugh. "Why wouldn't it be?" She asked quickly as she sat up completely and dropped her legs to the floor, still rubbing her face a bit.
"I don't know... Just for a second you looked as if you were about to cry." Alex said softly and Piper forced herself to laugh at that statement.
"Yeah, well... I hate getting up so early." She finally said.
"I'm sorry to force you to your feet already. But, to make things better, I did bring nice breakfast." Alex grinned again as she showed her a big paper bag she was holding in her right hand. "And after I change your bandage, you'll be able to go straight back to bed again. I need to go out for a bit."
Andrea. Right.
Piper swallowed hard when Alex turned around to head to the kitchen. She was slowly taking the bagels out of the bag when she looked up at the blonde again. "I don't have to go, you know. I can stay." She said quickly when she noticed a rather pained look on Piper's face. She would have asked about her discomfort directly but she had learned already that the blonde got a little annoyed when Alex was becoming overprotective.
"No, no... I'm fine. You should go." Piper smiled and hoped that Alex would buy that fake grin. She didn't feel like explaining to the brunette that she felt like shit not because of her body but because of her soul. She wasn't ready to have that sort of conversation that day... or ever. It was too late for that and she knew that perfectly. "I'll probably go for a short walk later. Get a little fresh air and stretch my legs." She said nonchalantly as she stood up and started to fold the duvet as best as she could with her one hand.
"You sure you don't need me around?" Alex tried again.
I need you around all the time. You're my fucking air.
Piper's cheeks flushed at her own thoughts but more and more often it was becoming clear to the blonde that she wasn't able to deny her own feelings anymore. Especially not after that dream. Not after she felt her heart beating that fast, her stomach doing those somersaults, that wonderful feeling of utmost happiness evoked by just a stare of those green eyes into her own.
"Yep. Positive." She finally answered with a smile. "Go, enjoy your lunch." She added with fake mirth. What she truly felt was a bile rising in her throat and she was praying with all her might that she would just break out crying right now. How the fuck would I explain that without making Alex have a heart attack?!
"Okay." The brunette chuckled as she came back to where Piper was now standing by the sofa. She put the food onto the coffee table. "Breakfast is served, M'Lady." She bowed with a smile and a wink and turned around to leave.
"Aren't you eating?" Piper asked with concern. She knew that the first meal of the day had become a very important point in Alex's day so she was surprised to see the brunette skipping it.
"Nah, I'll grab something later. I need to jump into shower now." She smiled at Piper. "Enjoy."
"Thanks." The blonde answered even though she was sure that swallowing even a bit right now would be close to a miracle.
Fuck.
XxXxX
Hot water was cascading down Alex's body making her skin tingle and turn a bright shade of pink. The brunette had been standing motionless under the shower head for more than five minutes now, not bothered to really wash herself yet. She was trying to relax even though she wasn't sure why she was so nervous in the first place.
Yes, it had been a while since she and Andrea had had lunch together but the fact that the beautiful model invited her now didn't really mean anything, right? Up until this moment they would just hook up, sort of accidentally stumbling upon each other in various clubs located all over the country. This kind of unwritten rule between them was easy and very satisfactory to both of them and Alex didn't want to change anything. But the fact was that the brunette had changed everything already because she stopped seeking contact with Andrea. She hadn't been partying hard on her last tour and even if she had gone out with her band mates, the one night stands had been out of the question. Those few times Alex and Andrea had ended up in the same club, the brunette had rather avoided the model. Yes, they had talked but nothing more. And all of that had been done by Alex sort of unconsciously. She just hadn't been in the mood for meaningless flings lately. At least that's how she was trying to explain it all to herself.
But Andrea didn't belong to the category of meaningless flings and yet the singer was unable to force herself to act normally around her. The harsh fact was that Alex didn't want to be with anyone anymore.
Except one little blonde... And you don't mean Andrea, Vause.
Fuck.
Alex wanted to get some balance back in her life. Just because Piper was around again didn't mean that the singer had to put everything on hold, right? It's not like they could ever be together again, right?
The brunette touched her forehead to the cool shower tiles and took a deep breath, trying to steady her heart which was now beating so fast in her chest that she thought it would explode. Her trembling hands didn't help either... It's been a while since she had felt this sort of anxiety.
Fuck it. She would go and grab that lunch and have a damn good time. Piper or no Piper around, she couldn't let her whole life be upside down just because of her. They were supposed to be friends and they would be but Alex had to gain some distance to it all.
Or I'll go fucking crazy.
Alex quickly finished her shower and went to her wardrobe to find something decent to wear. After a little bit of rummaging she decided to put on her favorite black leather pants and a black sleeveless top that allowed her to show off most of her tattoos. Perfect eyeliner. Bloody red lipstick. She looked into the mirror but instead of smiling she made a frustrated sigh.
Who the hell am I kidding...
Yes, she did look good. But it wasn't Andrea she really wanted to impress.
You are fucking crazy already.
XxXxX
The strong wind felt wonderfully refreshing as it lashed at Alex's skin. Even though it was still pretty early, the sun was shining bright and it was clear that it would be another hot day in LA. The brunette made the engine of her motorcycle roar loud in her ears, making even some of the pedestrians turn their heads. The machine made her feel free and careless and that's exactly why she had chosen to take it for a right today. Besides, it was a perfect mode of transport in such a big city and she didn't want to be late for that lunch. Andrea was quite strict on punctuality and Alex respected that.
After just a few minute ride she parked her motorbike in front of a small restaurant. Alex knew that place very well since she and Andrea had met there several times when they were still a couple. It was a pleasant place with tasty food but what was more important – the owner of the restaurant was Andrea's good friend and that's why they definitely could count on much more privacy than in any other restaurant in LA.
She entered the bright lobby and smiled at the waitress who obviously recognized her since she immediately led Alex to a booth at the back of the room. Andrea had already been waiting there for her and she flashed the brunette a big grin when she finally saw her approaching.
"I hope I'm not late." Alex whispered into the blonde's ear as she hugged her tight.
"You're right on time." Andrea reassured her when they sat down on the opposite sides of their table. "Would you like some wine?" She asked as she mentioned for the waiters.
"Actually, no, thank you. I took the bike for a ride so I shouldn't be drinking any alcohol." Besides, I have to grab Laura from school later... But she didn't say that second thought out loud, of course.
Andrea turned to the waitress with a polite smile. "Two glasses of water, then." She picked up the menu and started to study it.
Alex tried to do the same but her eyes kept wandering off to Andrea. The woman seemed a little tense despite the smile plastered to her face and after another few minutes of awkward silence the brunette couldn't take it anymore. The blonde's odd behavior started to get on her nerves, making her own heart rate pick up unstable rhythm and Alex didn't like that one bit.
"Okay, Andy. What's up? Just spill it." The brunette finally asked.
Andrea put the menu down on the table and looked to the side, avoiding Alex's sight for a moment. There was a little smile on her lips that she was obviously trying to fight off. She swallowed hard and turned to face the brunette.
"How do you know that anything is up? Hmm?"
"Oh c'mon... I know you." Alex smiled at her in hopes to put her companion at ease. There was no doubt that she was nervous about something and the longer Alex didn't know the reason for it, the more she herself became agitated.
Andrea chuckled. "Just a little bit." She showed with her fingers how little it really was and it was the brunette's turn to smile.
The waitress appeared out of nowhere with their water, making both of the women snap out of their bubble.
"Are you ready to place your order?" She asked with a pleasant, well practiced, voice.
"I'll have a shrimp salad." Andrea smiled up at her.
"And you, ma'am?"
"Same." Alex answered without sparing the girl even one look. She was too busy observing the woman in front of her. Something was definitely up and she was adamant to find out what it was.
"I asked to you see because I have a proposal for you." Andrea stated in her business voice before Alex managed to ask any of the questions that were floating in her mind. She raised one of her eyebrows in surprise.
"What kind of proposal?" This is intriguing...
"Work for me." Andrea simply said as she took a sip of her water.
Alex started to laugh. Andrea couldn't be serious. There's no way the two of them could work together. Yet, her laughter stopped when she realized that the blonde didn't join her in her mirth. "Okay... Let's say I could agree on that. What would I be doing?" She chuckled. Still not believing that Andrea truly meant what she had just said.
"We're starting a new collection and we're looking for models. Faces of the collection."
"I'm not a model, Andy."
"But you're a rock star, babe." The blonde grinned. "And that's who we're looking for. This whole collection is in this nice rockish vibe."
Alex started laughing again. "What is 'rockish vibe'?" She made the inverted commas as she continued to chuckle. This was really getting interesting.
"Please. Look in the mirror." This statement made Alex laugh yet again. "I'm serious." Andrea's voice was full of mirth now too. "We've already talked to some other artists but I really, really would like you to join us."
"Oh yeah? Who's already agreed?" Alex's curiosity got the best of her.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you yet."
"Oh... C'mon, Andy. It's not like I'll tell anyone, right?" The brunette threw her companion one of her best toothy smiles.
Andrea seemed to be thinking for a while. She obviously didn't want to give in that easily.
"It might change my mind, you know." Alex added.
"Okay... So let's clarify... What's your mind on it right now?" Andrea looked straight into Alex's green eyes and lifted her eyebrow, evoking exactly the same reaction from the brunette.
The singer continued to stare for a moment before voicing her thoughts. "For now it's a 'no'." She grinned when Andrea huffed, defeated. "But who knows... Some interesting people could persuade me." She wiggled her eyebrows.
"So now I'm not interesting enough?" Andrea asked with mock-offense. "Fuck you, Vause." She said chuckling and started to dig into her salad that had just been placed in front of her.
They ate in silence for a while but this time it wasn't so loaded with anxiety and Alex actually enjoyed the company of her ex-girlfriend. She really did like Andrea a lot. Maybe in a different world... Who knows?
I can say 'no' in a nice way, right?
"I would have to talk to Red first, you know." Alex finally stated as she looked up at Andrea again. "Me and the band are going to be really busy soon so I need to check with Red first. We're recording new material and going on a small tour. This can be quite hectic for us so I'm not sure I'll find the time."
Andrea's face was split with a huge grin. "I've already talked to her."
Fuck.
"Oh yeah?" The brunette was trying not to show how surprised she truly was at hearing that. She gulped on her water. "And what did she say?"
"Something along 'She should have one or two days but I don't get into all that dyke drama, you talk to her' or something like that." Andrea mimicked the Russian accent perfectly and Alex couldn't help laughing out loud even though her situation was getting a little complicated here.
"It's only a day or two you say?" The brunette wanted to make sure that this whole job for Andrea wouldn't take up too much of her time. With the new album coming up and the tour, she soon won't have enough free time. She tried not to think why she suddenly needed it so much.
"Yes."
"And you'll adjust the schedule to my schedule, right?"
"Yes." Andrea started to grin again. She knew she was winning this one.
"I'll need to think about it." Alex finally stated and the model's smile dropped. She felt that the brunette was trying to find and easy way to say 'no' to her and she hated that on so many levels. "I will think about it, Andy." The singer stressed upon seeing the disappointment on Andrea's face.
"That's okay. I know you've been kinda busy recently." She said nonchalantly as she forced and easy smile onto her lips.
Hearing this made Alex nervous. Where was the blonde heading with this conversation now? "Yeah, well. It's been quite hectic time for me, I guess." She admitted. There was no use in denying anything. Andrea knew perfectly well what had been going on. She was the one who had given Alex the phone to the lawyer after all.
"The birds are singing that you're back together with her." The model shot her another smile but this one was a rather sad one, no matter how hard she was trying to hide her true feelings about this.
"She's just a friend." Alex's mood was deteriorating by second. A sudden sadness engulfing her whole being as well. She didn't want to have that conversation right now but how could she say politely to someone to back the fuck off?
"A friend?" Andrea's eyebrows shot to her hairline. It seemed obvious that she wasn't buying anything that Alex was saying.
"Yeah, a friend." Yet, Alex persisted. "Just like me and you."
Andrea chuckled and this time it looked as if she was really amused at the brunette's statement. "Alex, we're not friends and we'll never be friends."
"No?" The singer's eyebrows furrowed. "So what is this?" She motioned to the table. "Why are we having lunch right now?"
"This..." Andrea also pointed to the table now. "... this is business, Alex." She stated shortly but there wasn't any coldness to her tone. She seemed rather defeated and it made the brunette feel really bad. Her stomach turned to stone and she wasn't able to take even one more bite of her salad. "We could never be true friends." The blonde chuckled. "Don't get me wrong. I'll always be here for you. I'll help you if you need me. But I can't see you every other day or talk to you so often." She cleared her throat, obviously struggling with her own emotions. "Do you know when two ex-lovers can continue being close friends after a break-up?" Alex just stared at her. "Only in two cases. One: when there was no love on either side from the very beginning."
"Andy..." The brunette tried to stop Andrea from saying too much but the blonde didn't let her.
"Shh..." She smiled at her even though her eyes were glassy now. "And two: when they never stopped loving each other really." Alex just sat there, her mouth dry, and no idea whatsoever how to react to what she had just heard.
"I'm sorry." Was the only thing that the brunette finally mustered to whisper. She had never wanted to hurt Andrea. Why the hell life always got so damn complicated?
The blonde in front of her shook hear head as if she was trying to shake off all the uneasy feelings from her body and then she smiled up at Alex. "Don't be. It's not your fault. But it will be your fault if you don't do anything about your friend. And then you will be sorry, Alex."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Andra laughed out. "Sure you don't. But it's only because you won't let your silly brain catch up with your heart." Alex started to protest again, getting more agitated by the second but the model grabbed her hand and squeezed it warmly, silencing her. "It's okay. I get it. I just hope that she can make you happy."
"I don't think it's the brightest idea for you to work with me." Alex swallowed hard. "Why did you propose this job to me?"
"Oh, hon. You won't be working with me. You'll be working for me. We'll hardly see each other. The campaign is led by Joeffrey. You know him. He's a great manager and photographer." Andrea's business voice was back. "And I really, really want you to take part in this project."
"So... I'll think about it." Alex smiled a little. She still felt uneasy.
"That's all I'm asking." Andrea grinned.
XxXxX
Alex was riding her motorcycle at a high speed, passing other cars like crazy. She hardly ever allowed herself for being so irresponsible but she needed to vent and apart from getting high with Nicky (which was not an option that day), this was her best solution. Luckily, it was still quite early in the day so the highway was fairly empty and what the singer was more concerned about than getting into an accident was being pulled over by some cops. It had already happened several times in the past so if they caught her again, she might finally get in some more serious troubles. Those harpies form newspapers would love to write about that. What's better than a rock star being detained, right?
It had been a few days since that meeting with Andrea and Alex's brain was still reeling with million thoughts. The woman had given her time to think everything over till Friday and the brunette was happy that most of her week had been extremely busy with Piper's and Laura's check-up visits with doctors, getting the little girl ready for her school finals, meeting with the lawyers and working on the soundtrack to that film. She had been so determined to keep her mind off of the thoughts that the conversation with Andrea had evoked, that she managed to record the main theme song for Judy, surprising the director on Thursday pizza night by showing her a ready track. Yes, Alex had been ultra productive that week indeed.
But it was Friday now and there was no more delaying nor procrastinating allowed. The singer had to make up her mind so she also needed to clear her head, thus the crazy ride on her bike. There was nothing better then the rush of cooling wind caressing her body. She had been taking her two wheels for rides almost every night since Monday. She usually slipped out of her suite after Piper and Laura had already been asleep. She didn't want them to worry or, what's worse, ask extra questions. Actually, once she stumbled upon Piper when she was getting back to the apartment but her friend, despite being surprised at seeing the singer entering the suite instead of being in bed, didn't comment. Alex suspected that the blonde would flip if she knew that Alex had been so reckless but oh well... She needed her space for a moment. Put her mind at ease again. Today it was particularly difficult and that's why she decided to take the bike out at an earlier hour than usually. Laura was at school and Piper was at her old job, the bookstore, just visiting her friends. She was slowly feeling much better and this fact made Alex happy and relieved.
The brunette felt her phone vibrate in her front pocket but she decided to ignore it. It was just a text so it couldn't be anything important, she figured. After a few minutes of riding, she felt the device come to life again, indicating another message, and when Alex didn't answer to that too, she finally felt her phone going crazy for good. Somebody was trying to get a hold on her and was obviously persistent at that. Maybe something important did happen after all.
She rode on the highway for another few miles, until she was able to get the exit leading her back to LA. She stopped at the first gas station she encountered on her way and took out her phone. It turned out that she had received more messages than she had thought. She must have not felt them coming in. She was too focused on her motorcycle. Controlling a machine with such a big engine was quite difficult at hight speed and the brunette had to strain her muscles to keep it on the road. Only after stopping did she realize how really tired she was. She felt as if she had run a marathon, short of breath, arms and legs aching, hands tingling with the adrenaline still pumping in her veins. She let an exasperated laugh. God, it's good that I'm actually working out regularly.
There were four text messages: two from Nicky, one from Lorna and one from Piper. The missed phone call was also from the blonde so Alex decided to call her friend before taking a look at any of the messages.
It took Piper only one ring tone to pick up, as if she was waiting for that call, and it made Alex a little nervous.
"Pipes, is everything okay?" She asked immediately, her voice still a little shaky and her breath short from the recent bike ride.
There was a prolonging silence on the other end of the conversation.
"Pipes? Hello?" Alex looked at her phone to check if she was still on the line and only then she heard the blonde's voice.
"Yes, sorry. I was just wondering... Are you free to talk? I can call other time." Piper stated finally, uncertainty evident in her voice.
"Umm... Well, it's me who called now so..." The brunette chuckled into the receiver. "What's up, kid?"
"Lorna called and asked if we're up for dinner together after Laura's off from school."
Ah, so that's why they texted me probably.
"Sure." She grinned to herself and looked at her watch. She still needed to get back to the hotel and get her car before she would be able to go for Piper and Laura. There was no way she would show up on a bike there. "I should drop by the bookstore in about an hour. Is that okay?"
"Perfect." She could still hear some odd nervousness in Piper's voice. "I'll let you go now. See you soon."
Click. Conversation over before Alex had a chance to say 'bye'.
Weird.
She stood there thinking for moment. She had to make her decision about Andrea's offer. Maybe after all it wouldn't be so bad? And she did wonder who else might have said yes and joined the campaign.
Ah, fuck it.
Alex: [Okay, Andy. I'm in.]
What can possibly go wrong, right?
Alex shrugged her shoulders and put her helmet back on. She had to hurry if she didn't want to be late.
XxXxX
The traffic on her way back to the hotel was a bit heavier than earlier but thanks to the fact that she was on her bike, she still managed to get to her car in a fairly short time. That was another reason why she preferred this mode of transport to traditional four wheels. She even had a short moment to quickly run up to her suite and refresh a bit before going for her girls.
These are not your girls, you asshole. She scolded herself. Friends, friends, friends... She repeated in her mind like mantra as she was driving to the bookstore.
Getting Laura from school was fast and easy. Everybody already knew Alex there so she wasn't anyone special there anymore and she liked it that way. She could quickly grab the little girl without being stopped million times by kids and teachers who wanted an autograph or were just eager to talk to her even for a minute. Thanks to this they were able to make it to the restaurant on time, before Lorna had managed to send them thousands of messages.
They were sitting comfortably and chatting while munching on their food. They had chosen to grab some burgers and shakes. Alex wasn't too thrilled for that choice since she really had been trying to keep her body in good shape and it was slowly becoming more and more difficult, but when she saw the sparks in Laura's eyes upon hearing Nicky's idea for the greasy/super sweet snack, she gave up her arguing for something a little more appropriate.
"Mom, can I have French fries too?" The little girl asked as she took a big bite of her burger.
Piper furrowed her eyebrows and huffed. "Why didn't you asked for them when we were placing our oder?" She loved her daughter but she was also annoyed by the girl's indecisiveness at times.
"That's okay. I'll go get her some." Alex smiled and stood up to get back to the bar. "I think I need another bottle of water anyways." She winked at Laura, which earned her a big grin and a quiet 'thank you'.
"You can have some of mine in the meantime." Lorna dropped a few French fries onto Laura's plate. "Here." She ruffled her hair. She loved spending time with the little girl and for the last few months she had been looking for more and more excuses to do just that.
After another few minutes of happy chatter, Laura's eyebrows furrowed a little in thought. She kept glancing at Nicky and Lorna, the way the two women interacted with each other and even though she hadn't given it much thought before, now she was intrigued. She continued to observe them silently until Piper finally noticed her daughter's quietness.
"What's up little one? Everything's good?" She smiled at the child.
"Sure, mom." Laura smiled right back.
"Wonder what's taking Alex so long." Nicky sniggered.
Lorna chuckled as well. "Probably giving out autographs." She turned to Nicky and kissed her temple. "You're hiding your butt here while your friend's facing the world out there."
"You're together, right?" Laura asked looking expectantly at the two women in front of her before Nicky had a chance to answer her girlfriend.
"Right." Lorna smiled at her.
"So you're gay, right?" The girl asked again.
"Yep, you're right on that too." Nicky chuckled.
Piper turned to her daughter with surprise in her eyes. "What's up with the questioning, huh?" It's not like she hadn't talked about such things with Laura but still it intrigued her why the girl was suddenly so curious about their friends. After all, they had been hanging out together for almost a year now and Laura had never asked about such things.
"Oh, nothing." She stopped her mini-interview and turned her attention back to her burger. Yet, not even a few minutes passed when she couldn't help asking another question. "So one day you're gonna get married, right?"
Nicky choked on her food.
"Laura... Stop it." Piper warned her daughter when she realized that the topic now turned to something that Nicky obviously wasn't too keen to discuss.
"It's okay, hon." Lorna smiled at them. "Yes, one day we'll probably get married." She grinned at Laura. All the time Nicky was fighting to take a breath after she finally stopped coughing. Damn, she really needed to steer that little chat into a different direction. Luckily, she didn't have to since Laura decided to do that herself and the wild-haired woman was glad about that, to say the least.
"Is Alex gay too?" The girl turned her sight to her mother.
Piper laughed again a little. This was getting weirder by the minute. "Yeah." She smiled at the child, hopeful to end that bizarre talk.
"But she doesn't have a girlfriend, right?" Laura turned her attention back to Nicky.
And this time even Piper was curious to hear the answer. The fact was that she and Alex had never talked about it so the blonde kinda assumed that there wasn't anyone special in the singer's life but recently she had been acting a little strange. She was disappearing at odd hours of night, coming back home all disheveled and jumping right into the shower. She had also been quite absent-minded most of the time and that today's phone call... Piper was pretty sure she must have interrupted Alex doing something Piper didn't even want to think about as she felt the food growing in her mouth upon a pure thought of the brunette being with someone. If there was someone who knew whether Alex had been seeing some woman, that someone was Nicky.
"Right again. Alex is free like a bird." Nicky grinned more at Piper than at Laura and even though the look that she shot the blonde made her cringe a bit, she now felt that she could breath again. Why was that even fucking important? It's not that it changes anything...
Piper had just taken another big gulp of her milkshake to cool down the unpleasant burning in her stomach, when she heard Laura's next words. "It's a pity that mom's not gay then. That would be so cool to have two moms." The little girl grinned happy at her own comment but the moment Piper heard her daughter, she choked on her milkshake so badly that for a second she was sure she would fucking die.
She was still coughing like crazy when Alex finally got back to their table and sat down next to Laura.
"Sorry, guys. The line was huge and some guys bugged me for autographs." She stated as she put a plate full of French fries in front of the girl. And only then did she realize that something was off. Piper's face was red like a ripe tomato and she was struggling to breathe. Nicky and Lorna were rolling with laughter on the other side of the table while Laura sat there chuckling to herself even though she wasn't sure why her simple observation caused such havoc.
"Okay..." Alex looked around their little crowd. "What am I missing?" She grinned because something outstandingly funny must have happen while she was gone.
"Nothing." Piper managed to state, still clearing her throat from time to time. "Just a silly joke." She said quickly as she shot Nicky a glare to shut her up. Somehow she felt that their friend would use that occasion to say something highly inappropriate.
"Is that right?" The singer chuckled. "Must have been hella hilarious."
"I just said..." Laura started but before she was able to finish her sentence, Piper glared at her as well and the girl knew immediately that she would be in trouble if she said what she really wanted to say. She just didn't understand why. So she decided to change her initial statement. "...that Nicky doesn't have as many fans as you and it's not fair." She grinned at her own fast thinking.
"Aww... honey. She's got all the fans she needs right here." Lorna smiled and squeezed Nicky hard, making her cringe with discomfort... which in turn made everybody laugh again.
Jesus... That was close. Piper laughed with them but the nervous butterflies in her stomach indicated that she wasn't at ease just yet. Nope. She doubted she would ever really be. Get a grip, Piper...
XxXxX
It was evening on a lazy Saturday. Laura was lying on the bed in the bedroom and reading a new comic book that she had got from Alex earlier in the day. She was completely smitten with the new Wonder Woman series so the unexpected present from the signer made her jump up and down with excitement. She run to take a look at it the moment they came back to the hotel suite from their walk. Taking a stroll daily had become a tradition of theirs lately. It was good for Piper to stretch her legs a bit. Her body was getting stronger every day and soon she would be able to get rid of the cast on her arm. It would be replaced with a brace which was way more comfortable and lighter than what Piper had to be dealing now. At least that was what the doctor had promised. The only thing that really bothered the blonde at the moment was the fact that she was still banned from drinking any alcohol so she would have to wait even few more weeks before she would be able to sip on her favorite wine.
Piper was doing exactly the same thing as her daughter but her choice of literature was vastly different. She was lying on the sofa with a copy of Edgar Allan Poe's book of poems. She loved the gothic style of the author so she was very happy when she found one of his works in Alex's small collection.
From time to time, she had to lift her eyes from the text to answer one of numerous messages from Polly. She had been chatting with her friend on the messenger for over an hour now. It was good to hear that her business was doing better and better. There was even a chance that the soap business would soon expand onto the West coast as well. That was wonderful because it also meant that Polly would be a much more often visitor to California and Piper missed her greatly.
Polly: [Say hi from me to your sexy friend. ;) ]
Piper chuckled when she read the last text. She looked up at Alex who was in the kitchen, getting some special spray and some cloth ready because she was about to go to her little studio to tidy up a bit. She didn't trust any of the maids to do this properly without damaging the expensive equipment so she was always cleaning that room herself.
"Polly says hi." The blonde smiled at the singer.
Alex looked up from the task at her hand and grinned. "Ask her when she's going to visit again. It would be fun to spend some time with her and Pete. I remember I liked the guy and Stella would be glad to see him again, too. I can get them the tickets."
Piper: [Alex's asking when you're going to come over here again. :) ]
Polly: [Tell her we'll fly there to your wedding. :P ]
Alex looked up at Piper again when she heard the sound of incoming message. "And? What did she say?"
Piper had to clear her throat. "They're pretty busy right now." She answered shortly.
Piper: [It's not like that and you know it so cut it out.]
Polly: [It's not like what?]
The blonde huffed, making Alex stare at her again and when she noticed the brunette's sight, she just shook her head. "It's nothing." The singer just smiled at her and proceeded getting ready to the task that she hated so much, her little grumbling to herself making Piper smile. She thought the brunette was cute like that.
Piper: [She will never fall in love with me again, Polly. I fucked up. End of the story.]
Polly: [Are you fucking blind?]
Piper furrowed her eyebrows. She looked at Alex again. The singer was just wandering around kitchen, pretending that she was definitely not procrastinating. She really did hate cleaning. She had always detested it and avoided like a plague. It made the blonde chuckle quietly.
Piper: [I'm not fucking blind. I'm fucking realistic.]
Polly: [Realistic my ass.]
Before the blonde managed to reply to her friend, her phone buzzed again.
Polly: [You did not see her at the hospital, Piper. When I told her what happened... I don't think I've ever seen anyone so distraught in my life. She loves you. I am sure about that. In fact, I'm so sure I'm willing to bet a million dollars on that.]
Piper kept her eyes on the brunette, observing her quietly. It was true that Alex had gone out of her way to help her. She had been there on every step of that difficult way and she still continued to look after her and Laura even though she really didn't have to. Especially that now Danny was around and even her parents seemed more genuine when they said they wanted to help. Alex was still here. But that's what any good friend would do, right?
Piper: [You don't have million dollars, Pol.]
Polly: [Yes, but I can always rob a bank or something. See how serious I am?]
Piper burst out laughing, making Alex turn her attention to her and smile. "What's so funny?" She asked amused.
"Polly's just being silly."
Alex chuckled. "You're both quite silly at times." She winked at her on her way to the studio. "Call me if you need anything. I'll leave the door open so I'll hear you."
Piper just sat there lost in her thoughts. What if Polly was right and she still stood a chance with the brunette? But what if her friend was just reading too much into Alex's behavior? If Piper tried anything that could backfire at her tremendously. She didn't want the singer to feel awkward around her again. It had been weird enough at the beginning of their new-old relationship. What if all those feelings bubbling inside the blonde were one sided?
Fuck... Why life can't ever be simple?
She huffed at herself as she lied down on the sofa again. Her phone buzzed yet again.
Polly: [Okay... Don't stress. I can feel your brain getting ready to burst. My advice is simple: just chill, sleep on it... and then sleep with her. :P ]
Jesus...
Piper: [You're not helping, Pol. :P ]
Polly: [Right now I'm not even trying. I'm just having fun at your expense.]
She was about to text back to her friend with some angry comment but her train of thoughts was disrupted by Alex coming back to the living room area. She seemed alarmed and angry and that made Piper raise up to her feet immediately. It wasn't often that she saw the brunette so agitated.
"What happened?" She asked with worry in her voice.
"Nicky's just called me." Alex started to gather her stuff. She put on her leather jacket and started to check if she had her credit cards and phone with her. "She's had a fight with Lorna over something and it looks really bad this time."
"Holly shit..."
"Yeah. I'm sorry, Pipes, but I think I should go and check up on her." Alex looked her in the eye. "Are you fine to stay by yourself tonight?"
"Of course. Don't worry about us." She was also concerned about their friends. What could possibly go so terribly wrong?"Just let me know when you find out something more."
"Sure." Alex threw her a little smile and left in a hurry.
Piper lied down again and took a deep breath.
Fuck... just let them be okay at least. One messed up pseudo-couple is enough.
XxXxX
After trying to read for another half an hour, Piper finally gave it up. She was too distracted to be able to focus on the text. She was worried about Nicky and Lorna and she had to find a way to make herself stop thinking about the couple all the time so she decided to get up and shift her attention to Laura. It was getting late and although it was a weekend, she knew that it would be better if the girl didn't get used to going to bed after 10 pm. There was still another week of school in front of her after all and she had to survive it somehow without sleepless nights and later difficult mornings when her daughter would grumble even more if she was tired.
Luckily, this time Laura didn't moan too much about the fact that her mother had told her to get ready to sleep. Maybe it was because Piper let her take a long bubbly bath with the colorful foam that Alex had bought for her. The bath actually looked like a horror scene because the water turned deep red after adding the bubbles. Of course, Laura was elated when she saw that.
Finally, after a good half an hour of soaking in the bloody water, Laura was content to get her butt into the bed. It was probably thanks to all the hours of reading, but the girl seemed genuinely tired and was out much faster than normally.
Piper wanted to follow her daughter's footsteps but she figured that she was too agitated to fall asleep that easily and staying in bed would only frustrate her. She wandered around the suite for a moment, looking for something to do but both reading and watching TV turned out to be out of the question. Her thoughts would constantly come back to Nicky and Lorna and she was tired with it. Alex had sent her a short text saying that she was going to a bar with her band mate, she didn't mention Lorna at all and the woman herself wasn't answering Piper's messages. Maybe she just needed some space... So the blonde stopped harassing her with her texts.
She looked at the open door to Alex's studio and an idea popped into her head. She smiled at her own plan. The singer didn't trust any maids hired by the hotel but Piper was pretty sure that the brunette wouldn't mind it if Piper herself helped her tidy the place up a bit. Physical work was always good for a troubled mind, right? Besides, Alex really did hate cleaning so...
The light was on in the studio and there were all the things she needed to get the place nice and shiny. It was obvious that Alex had left in haste to get to Nicky. This thought made Piper smile. Her friends were everything to the brunette. The blonde knew that best by now.
Friends, friends, friends... Yeah...
She decided to start with the beloved piano but when she turned her attention to the instrument, she realized that Alex's laptop was sitting at the top of it. It was still open and the music software was on. There were headphones plugged in and some soft sounds were coming out of them. Alex must have been checking something out before she was forced to leave. When Piper took a better look at the screen, she saw what the brunette had been listening to. It was Alex's new song, the one she had recorded for the movie. The blonde had never heard it actually but judging by Judy's reaction to it on Thursday, this thing must have been really good.
For a moment Piper hesitated... She didn't want to pry... If Alex had wanted her to hear the song, she would have played to her herself, right?
Another look at the laptop.
And then another...
Fuck it.
Her curiosity got the better of her.
Besides... She did show me the rest of the soundtrack...
Piper stopped the ongoing track and put the headphones onto her ears. Rewind to the beginning. Push play. A mellow rhythmic sound of the bass guitar invaded her senses. It was soothing but made you tap your foot to the beat. The blonde smiled upon hearing those first sounds. No wonder the movie maker had been so pleased with the results of Alex's work.
Call it magic
Call it true
Call it magic
When I'm with you
And you got me broken
Broken into two
Still I call it magic
When I'm next to you
Piper's jaw dropped to the floor. Her fingertips stared to tingle with nervousness and her palms got suddenly sweaty. She had to swallow hard even though her mouth felt dry like sand. It was just a movie song, right? Written to fit the movie, right?
And I don't, and I don't, and I don't, and I don't
No, I don't
It's true
I don't, no, I don't, no, I don't, no I don't want anybody else but you
Piper's lips started to tremble and she was angry at herself because it felt so stupid. Why did she get so emotional over something like this? Alex had had an order for a song. She had written the song. That's all, right? So why did these damn lyrics seem so fucking personal? And the way they were recorded.
"Jesus Christ... Get a grip, Chapman." She tried to laugh at herself as she brushed the tears away. Yet, what she heard next, only made them flow harder and she wanted to stop listening but simply couldn't force herself to push the stop button. She was glued to those damn headphones.
Wanna fall
I fall so far
I wanna fall
I fall so hard
And I call it magic
And I call it true
I call it magic
And if you were to ask me
After all that we've been through
"Still believe in magic?"
Oh yes, I do
With you?
Of course, I do
"Why does she have to be so fucking good at this?" Piper asked herself aloud after she finally dropped the headphones back on the piano as if they were some hot coals. She took a deep breath as she was trying to calm her nerves down. "Shit." She looked at her hands which were black with her smeared mascara. "I must look like a fucking zombie." She chuckled at herself darkly.
She needed to clean herself up before Alex got back home. That would be so awkward if she saw Piper like that. How could the blonde explain her odd behavior? As she was washing her face in the bathroom, she tried to convince herself that there was nothing in the song, that it was just a product. But in the end there was only one drill in her head...
What if, what if, what if...
XxXxX
Nicky and Alex, even though there were only two of them, were occupying a large booth at one of the most fancy bars in LA. There were several empty shot glasses and beer bottles on the table and both women were currently nursing yet another drink. As it was Saturday night, the place was full of people, making it look more like a small club than a simple bar where you could just drown your sorrows in alcohol. The atmosphere there was happy electric with all the patrons having a good time. Well... All but the two of them.
The brunette just sat there with her chin on her hands, staring at her best friend. She wasn't sure whether Nicky looked more heart-broken or angry. There was a weird combination of feelings mixing in her features. Most of the things she was saying throughout the evening were the words of burning fury but Alex knew better. She was aware that her poor lion-haired companion was hurting and she was sorry for her. She was sorry for the both of them because she and Lorna were really good together. The singer just hoped that they would be able to fix it. No, strike that off... That Nicky would be able to fix it. She had started it in the first place so...
"Nicky..." Alex started tentatively. "Just talk to her. It's okay to admit that you were wrong, you know. Tell her that she just surprised you, that's all."
Her band mate looked at Alex as if she had grown a second head. "Are you kidding me? Hell is going to freeze sooner than I get fucking married."
Alex took an exasperated breath. They had been going over this for the millionth time and her patience with her best buddy was slowly wearing thin. If she was so okay with this why was she acting like some beaten puppy? Of course, the brunette knew exactly why. The point was to make Nicky realize what a horse's ass she had been... and still continued to be by behaving like a brat.
"But you love her, you stupid idiot! Do something about it!" The brunette couldn't help shouting at her friend finally. It was getting late and Alex was slowly becoming: a) tired, b) irritated, c) more and more drunk, as the drinks kept flowing and she wasn't sure how much she would be able to handle that.
Instead of hearing Nicky shout at her back, as she had expected her best friend to do, she saw her laughing heartedly at her. Okay... This was confusing.
"What's so fucking funny, Nichols?"
"You."
That response irritated the brunette even more. "Okay, whatever." She huffed.
"Tell you what... I'm over Lorna. That's it. I've had enough of her clingy claws."
This made Alex's eyebrows go all the way to her hairline. She had not expect that one coming. But then, when she took a second look at her friend, she could tell that Nicky was just trying to fool herself.
"Yeah, right. I call it bullshit." She stated as she took a big gulp of her beer.
"That's rich coming from you, you know." Nicky sniggered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The brunette was getting really tired with this conversation.
"I'm over with my ex-girlfriend but you're not over with yours." The blonde pointed her finger at Alex.
"Oh yeah? I'm so over my past and you know it." The singer was pissed now. This evening wasn't about her for fuck sake. She was there to console her best friend... And now that best friend was trying to make her think about her own life decisions. She didn't like that at all. Nope. And she was getting more and more angry by the minute of that bizarre talk. Why would everybody keep throwing suggestions at her all the time? Fuck, it was getting frustrating.
"Oh yeah?" Nicky wiggled her eyebrows. "Prove it. Go and chat up some chick tonight. Get fucking finally laid 'cause I'm tired with your constantly moping face." She shot right at Alex, making her anger reach a boiling point.
"You know what? Fine. I'll prove it to you that I'm totally fucking fine. Whatever. But you have to prove it to me, too. Same task for you, asshole." She said crossly, hoping that it will make the woman back off but that didn't work.
"Deal." Nicky grinned like a Cheshire cat and extended her hand for Alex to shake.
Fuck.
"Deal." She had no other choice now but to take it.
Fucking fuck...
2 hours later at a different bar...
Alex was sitting with her forehead on the cool bar table. This was not supposed to happen. She would never hear the end of it. Ever. Nicky would make sure of that. Oh, so sure of that... And why was Alex sitting there so defeated? Well, maybe because they had had to evacuate themselves from the previous bar because of her. Her and her stupid, stupid, stupid, fuck-up. As it had turned out, the singer had not able to go through with her plan. Yes, she had chat up a hot chick... Yes, she had flirted and all... But the moment things had turned serious, Alex had just felt sick to her stomach. Her whole body had been screaming 'no' at her so... Under the cover of some weak excuse, she had run to find Nicky to get the both of them away from there as fast as she could...
She heard her friend chuckling next to her so she forced herself to lift her head. Nicky was ginning like a fool, a fully satisfied smile plastered on her face. And Alex really wished she could punch her right in the eye... But she couldn't so she just put her head back onto the table and groaned, which only made her friend laugh more.
" . ." The singer mumbled without lifting her head this time.
Even more laughter. Longer and lauder.
"Oh, c'mon, Vause. That wasn't that bad. You could've run from her bed. Now that would've been entertaining." Nicky sniggered and Alex just showed her her middle finger, still without lifting her head.
The truth was that Nicky was extremely glad that they were now sitting comfortably in another bar. If it hadn't been Alex, she was pretty sure that she herself would have ended up running away from that place. She realized now that it had been a matter of who would bolt first really. Now she had the upper hand and she was able to throw annoying jokes at her best friend which gave her a perfect cover for her own uneasy feelings. The fact was that Alex had been right all along and now Nicky knew that too. She had to make it right with Lorna. That or she would go simply crazy... Not so many options there, then.
Nicky showed the bartender to give them another round of shots and beers and a minute later he put the drinks right in front of them, startling Alex a bit and forcing her to finally sit upright.
"Now, stop moping around." Nicky lifted her shot and pushed the other to the brunette. "Numb your stupid brain a little bit with this fine alcohol, calm the fuck down and then go home and make it right." She wiggled her eyebrows.
"I'm not the only one who's gotta go home to make things right, you know." Alex shot back as she lifted her own glass. Her head was starting to spin more than she liked and she was sure that if she didn't get her ass back to the hotel soon, she would be tremendously sorry.
The grin on Nicky's face faltered. "Well... At least now we both know what we have to do, don't we?" She downed her drink and winked at her best friend.
Yeah, I guess...
XxXxX
It was well after 3 am when Alex finally managed to get home. She was really glad that the last bar that she and Nicky had visited was fairly close to her hotel because she wasn't sure whether she would be able to stand straight much longer. Damn, she didn't remember when was the last time she had ingested such a huge amount of alcohol. Even using her key card to open the door to her suite proved to be far more difficult than she had expected.
When she made it inside (after good five minutes of fumbling with the damn card), she shut the door quietly as she didn't want to wake Piper and Laura up. She leaned heavily on the door and took a deep breath, steadying herself.
I knew I shouldn't have drunk that last shot...
She started to fumble with her shoes and after a minute or two she managed to take one off. The other turned out to be far more stubborn.
"Fuck it..." She whispered under her breath as she slid down to the floor to get a better grip at the laces without falling down. She continued to curse quietly to herself as she tried to get rid of the damn shoe but it seemed that it got stuck there for good. "Why the fuck do I like those biker boots again?" She closed her eyes and bumped her head on the door in surrender.
And then she heard the giggling which made her snap her eyes wide open. Well, she wasn't alone in the room after all. Only now did she realize that there was dimmed light coming from the lamp standing next to the sofa. And on the sofa itself there she was.
Piper was sitting with a book in her lap and it was quite clear that she hadn't slept a wink that night. It made Alex feel bad. She didn't want the blonde to worry but in the whole craziness of that evening she had totally forgotten to text her back when she had continued to ask about Nicky and Lorna.
And yes, Piper was worried about her friends but at the present she was more occupied with the woman sitting now on the floor in front of her. She knew that the brunette had an outstanding talent when it came to drinking alcohol... But she also knew that very often she would just keep a straight face to the world and crumble right down the moment she entered the safety of her own home where people could no longer see her in her intoxicated state. And that seemed to be the case right now.
"Because they're sexy as hell and you know it." The blonde continued to giggle as she approached Alex and crouched down next to her feet. She untangled her laces without a single problem and soon took the boot off.
"Thank you." The brunette whispered.
"You're welcome." Piper whispered right back with a smile on her face. She liked this version of Alex when it appeared from time to time. She was cute and adorable in her clumsiness. "Now, let's get you to bed, shall we?" She stood up and reached out with her healthy arm which Alex gladly accepted. She was too tired and too drunk to be able to resist Piper's care.
The blonde pushed Alex gently onto the sofa, making her giggle lightly.
"What's so funny, you little drunk ass?" She chuckled as she got herself busy with taking the sofa cushions away to make more space. With all of them gone, the sofa turned actually into a nice comfortable bed.
"You're my Wonder Woman." The brunette grinned like a fool and it made Piper laugh. Alex could be such a dork sometimes. Especially when she was intoxicated.
"I am now, huh?" She chuckled some more and sat down text to Alex on the makeshift bed.
"You look cute in this outfit."
Piper looked down at her pajama and laughed again. "Yeah... Well, you look cute when you're drunk. Although, I'm not so sure you'll look or feel as cute when the morning comes." She sniggered when Alex groaned at that thought. "You sure you want to sleep in your jeans?"
"Why? You wanna get me out of them?" The brunette wiggled her eyebrows, making Piper laugh yet again.
"You're such a moron sometimes, I swear." She giggled.
"It's good that it's only sometimes, then." Alex smiled with her eyes closed. She really felt the alcohol pumping hard in her veins and the first signs of throbbing headache were accompanying that too. She scowled a bit when the pain got stronger near her temples.
"What is it?" Piper put her hand on the brunette's cheek when she noticed that something was not entirely right. Her hand was cool and felt so pleasant on Alex's heated skin. She just lied there, enjoying the shooting touch. How come even such a simple gesture could make it all alright?
Piper observed as Alex's furrowed eyebrows evened out, leaving her beautiful face looking peaceful and serene. It was all quiet for a long time and the blonde thought her friend had fallen asleep so she was startled a bit when the singer suddenly opened her eyes and looked straight into Piper's blue pools.
"What?" She whispered when Alex didn't say anything for a while, just continued to stare at her with her piercing gaze.
The brunette covered Piper's hand with her own. "You leave me defenseless." She finally whispered with shaky voice and it made the blonde draw in her breath.
There were million thoughts in Piper's mind. She felt as if her brain was about to explode as sat there staring right back at the brunette, totally dumbfounded.
Ah, fuck it...
"Here comes my million bucks..." She whispered humorously more to herself than anyone else.
"Wh..." Alex was about to ask what the hell she meant by that but she was stopped by a pair of soft lips on her own. In her utter surprise, it took her a second too long to respond and she sprung into action only when she felt Piper starting to draw back. Alex put both of her hands on the blonde's cheeks, keeping her from retreating to her shell. The gentle touch made Piper smile as pure relief flooded her body. The kiss was unhurried and tender. Sweet and hot at the same time and Alex thought that her heart was about to burst.
That's exactly what was missing.
She also smiled into the kiss, still not fully believing that it was happening. She felt like a kid in a candy store, like a man who finally found a spring of water after traveling through a desert for a week. Her head was spinning but she was pretty sure the alcohol had nothing to do with it this time.
They continued to explore each other's mouths leisurely, savoring the moment, until their lungs started to scream for air.
Piper touched her forehead to Alex's and smiled to herself with her eyes still closed when she felt her own lips tingle from all the kissing. It had been ages since she enjoyed it so much. Alex caressed her cheek with her thumb and the gesture made her smile turn into a wicked grin.
"We're good?" The brunette asked as she made Piper look her in the eye. She also had an extremely happy expression on her drunk face. The foggy eyes made the blonde giggle again.
God, stop being so giddy, you fool!
"We're perfect." She pecked Alex's lips again. Just because she could.
[Disclaimer: The song used in this chapter is "Magic" by Coldplay. I had to change the lyrics just a little bit to fit the story better.]