Nicky came home late for the third time that week. She smiled as Lorna walked towards her carrying a beer.
"You are an angel!" she sighed, holding the glass while managing to pull her girlfriend onto her lap.
"You look shattered." Lorna commented concerned. "I had thought with Alex out of the office you would be less busy."
Nicky snorted. "You are kidding me. Suzanne has really dumped us in it this time."
"Alex seems to be giving you far more than she should, if you ask me. I mean you are her assistant not her slave. She has walked away and left you to carry the can. I saw Alex the other day, you know when you had to take Boo to the unit instead of Alex doing it." Lorna said as casually as she could, not wanting to sound like she was gossiping but also worried Alex was taking advantage of Nicky.
"At the plaza?" Nicky frowned.
Lorna nodded. "She was leaving a suite, she didn't see me. She looked, I don't know, angry maybe, or upset. The woman staying there evidently booked the room just to meet Alex."
"What? Are you sure?" Nicky frowned. She knew that Alex had gone to meet this woman from the hotel, someone from her past she had said. Nicky had assumed that it was more a business fallout and that was why Alex was worried about Piper, but if that was the case why not meet in the office or a meeting room. "How long did Alex stay?" Nicky asked. Not really sure the answer would tell her much but needing to know.
Lorna shrugged, "Not that long, an hour tops. Nick what's going on? Do you think Alex is seeing someone other than Piper? That she is with this other woman now while Piper is away?"
Nicky shook her head. "No, I know she is not with the woman now. But as to what's going on, I really don't know. I knew she was meeting someone, but she was not wanting to give me details. She seemed worried, but worried for Piper. Listen I am going to try to message Boo. Maybe she knows something."
"Later baby." Lorna snuggled in closer to Nicky, "first I need a hug, then a kiss, then you need to eat. Worry about that stuff later."
Soon all thought of Alex and work were forgotten.
o0o
Piper was frustrated. She had sent Alex several text messages but had no reply. She lay on the bed staring at the ceiling wondering how, when she had been looking forward to this trip for so long, had wanted so much to launch her product in England, she was now feeling more alone and lonely than she had felt in a long time. She knew Alex was busy, that she would be trying to do not only her job but Suzanne's too. She knew she would not be sat by the phone waiting to hear from her, but before she had left Piper had felt so close to Alex and now she felt the gap between them was more than just an ocean and geography, she felt she was missing something. Something Boo and Nicky knew about but everyone was trying to protect her from.
It didn't help that this Sylvie person seemed to be shadowing Piper as if she was her personal body guard. Sighing she reached for her phone once more. She would try Alex again then go see if Polly wanted to get some fresh air.
When Alex voice mail kicked in once more Piper decided to leave her a message.
"Hey Al, only me. Just wanted to check you were OK. I hear you are in Denver clearing up more of Suzanne's mess. I miss you." Piper said softly, realising just how much as the words left her mouth. "Please don't work too hard, and make sure you eat!"
As Piper disconnected she whispered the words "I love you." She didn't want to say them on a voice message. Not for the first time. But her heart ached as she realised that what she felt for Alex really was love. Feeling a little lighter, knowing the reason she felt so alone was in the main because she missed Alex, Piper resolved to prove to herself and Alex she could do this. Regardless of the games Boo and Sylvie were playing, Piper was determined to make this a success. Knocking on the door to Polly's room she grinned at her friend.
"Hey, you fancy a trip on one of those big red tourist buses?"
Polly laughed, "Sure. But only if it is just us. I cant face having Sylvie being super nice when I am pretty sure she hates us, even if I have no idea why. Lets sneak out."
Grabbing jackets and bags the two women made their way to the lobby, bypassed the reception desk, hurrying past Sophia who, on seeing them, tried to catch their attention; then out into the cool air where they ran across the road to a waiting taxi before Sophia could catch up with them.
Laughing Polly said "She will be alerting Sylvie as we speak."
"Who cares," Piper shrugged. "We are ready for the launch, they said we had today free so lets make the most of it."
Climbing out of the taxi near to The Houses of Parliament the two women walked at a leisurely pace back along the river. Polly's phone rang and she grinned. "Its Pete!"
Moving to sit on a bench, Polly answered the call and Piper moved away to give her some privacy. Using her own phone to snap some pictures of the river and the impressive buildings she was a little surprised when her own phone rang and she saw Alex's name.
"Alex!" She grinned.
"Hey Pipes!" Alex sounded tired, "I just got your voice message. Sorry I haven't been in touch. Are you OK? Is Boo looking after you?"
"I'm fine." Piper smiled, "missing you." She admitted again, wanting Alex to know just how much.
"I miss you too Pipes, it seems like ages since I have seen you. Its been crazy here."
"So I hear. Is Suzanne OK?"
She heard Alex snort. "No. she has locked herself away at home and is refusing to leave, meaning Nicky and I are working her job as well as ours. I'm not sure we can save her this time, or even that she wants to be saved. She is saying she is going to travel the world until she finds someone to love her."
"Jeez!" Piper laughed. "I am guessing Maureen hurt her bad."
"Yeah. But enough about them. How do you like London?" Alex smiled knowing Piper had been so excited to explore.
"Its cool." Piper smiled, "I am stood by the river, looking across at some big wheel thing. Polly refuses to go on it so we are just walking until we find one of those tourist buses."
"Have you been into the Tower of London?" Alex asked "Its right by the hotel isn't it?"
"Yes it is, although we are not staying at the launch hotel, but today its just me and Pol, we are avoiding hotel people." Piper admitted, not sure she should mention Sylvie, Alex had enough to worry about as it was.
"Piper what's happened?" Alex asked immediately. "Why are you avoiding them? Has someone said something? Are you OK?"
"Nothings happened, we are fine." Piper reassured her. "We just wanted to play tourists. Tomorrow we launch then Boo is planning some mad pub crawl!"
Alex groaned. "Don't let her get you too drunk Pipes, I want you back here in one piece!"
Piper laughed, "Don't worry, Polly and I have decided we let her take us to a gay bar or club early and she will be distracted enough to leave us in peace."
"Good plan!" Alex grinned. "Listen Pipes I have to go, I have another meeting then I need to get to the airport, but I will try to call you later."
"Cool!" Piper grinned "I will make sure I have my phone with me at all times." she grinned. Saying goodbye, Piper turned and saw Polly still chatting so she took a few selfies and sent them to Alex who responded with one of her own. Piper saw how tired she looked and worried a little more.
When Polly rejoined her they exchanged news from home and Piper was amused to hear Polly's mom was hounding Pete about wedding plans and new homes and he was quickly beginning to agree with Polly that a Vegas wedding had appeal.
"Can you imagine," Polly groaned, "if mom is this bad now how will she be when the baby is here, we will never be able to get rid of her."
Soon baby talk and wedding plans were forgotten as the two friends boarded a bus and climbing to the top deck began a slow, windswept, journey through the London streets. Piper took many photos and some selfies which she sent Alex.
It was only as they finally returned to their hotel later that afternoon that Alex replied; telling Piper as cool as London was, and as cute as Piper looked, she Alex, would rather see Piper naked tied to her bed than in front of any historic monument.
As she read the words Piper both blushed and felt a rush of desire flow through her. God she missed Alex right at that moment. Knowing she did not have long to get ready before the final debrief for the launch, Piper took a shower. As she stood applying her make up wrapped only in a towel, she thought of Alex's words and wished she was back in Alex's bedroom rather than about to attend another boring meeting. She was just about to text Alex this when she had an idea. Grabbing the joke union jack hat she had bought for Alex and the cheap tacky 'my girlfriend went to London and all she got me was this lousy t shirt' shirt Piper put both on along with just her black lace thong. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror she snapped a picture sending it to Alex before taking the items off and finally dressing for the meeting.
Throwing her phone into her bag as she opened the door to see Polly standing outside about to knock.
"Good timing." Polly grinned as they made there way out to find a car waiting for them.
o0o
"So Piper, tell me how you find England." Sophia smiled at the blonde woman who was obviously bored and trying hard not to show it.
Piper smiled, "Its great. I love the history. I kinda wish I had more time to explore."
"But you miss home?" Sophia smiled hearing the unspoken thought in Pipers voice.
Pipers nodded. "Yes I do. But I feel bad as I wanted this so badly and now I am here it isn't what I expected I guess. I mean, this meeting, it was OK but everything we said yesterday was just repeated. We are ready to go, we know we can do this. I guess I am just impatient for it to happen now."
Sophia nodded. "Listen most new businesses arrive and have no clue what they are doing, so repeating our requests becomes essential. You two seem to have your shit together though, so why don't we excuse ourselves and go get a drink, people are only gossiping now anyway." she grinned.
"Wont Sylvie be annoyed?" Piper asked glancing at Sylvie who was busy giving Boo a hard time by the look of things.
"Hey you are with me, it'll be fine and we can say we are sampling the wine for tomorrow." She winked and ushered Piper towards the door. Piper glanced round looking for Polly wanting to invite her along or at least tell her where she was going, but not seeing her she continued out the door. Reaching for her phone to text Polly however, she saw a message from Alex. As she accepted the glass Sophia handed her, took a sip and sent Polly a message, she looked round the room. The bar was quiet but also, Piper noticed, even if it had been busy the layout of small enclosed booths meant a quiet corner could be found if desired even on the busiest of occasions.
Sophia seemed happy enough to sit at the bar itself, chatting to the staff as Piper sipped her drink.
Opening the message from Alex, Piper nearly spat her drink out. Choking on the wine as she quickly shut off her phone before someone saw the picture.
Alex it seemed had taken Pipers photo as some kind of challenge and now, obviously home in her own house, she was free to torment Piper.
Piper closed her eyes as if trying to erase the image. There had been words alongside the photo but Piper hadn't registered those. In the split second she had seen the photo her whole attention had been on Alex. She had looked stunning and so fucking sexy! She had been wearing her bike boots that came to her knee and an emerald green bra that she obviously knew not only made her eyes look amazing, but her tits too. Pipers quick view had also told her Alex had been wearing nothing else… at all!
Feeling Sophia pat her back to help her stop choking Piper tried to smile her thanks.
"You OK?" Sophia laughed.
"Yes, sorry.." Piper tried to control her breathing, she needed to focus and fast. "So running these launches must make life here interesting?" Piper asked trying to think of something other than her desire to escape to her room and call Alex while she was still half naked.
"Sure." Sophia smiled, "sometimes though its nice to have no events, just a quiet period of guests coming and going, they bring enough dramas of their own." She grinned.
Piper nodded absent-mindedly. "You have known Sylvie a long time?"
Sophia blushed a little Piper noticed and seemed to be hesitant about answering, so Piper thought she would let the other woman know she had seen them last night.
"This bar is nice, quiet. Not like last night though is it?"
Sophia frowned then realising what Piper was saying her eyes widened. "Nobody knows." She admitted softly. "Not because of Sylvie's husband, its a marriage of convenience anyway. No, its because of work. Sylvie wants to protect me. She doesn't want people thinking I am getting special treatment. She had a bad experience once herself. She knows people can get jealous."
"Surely," Piper frowned, "people are more likely to think her husband favours her. I mean with his money, status and everything. I know from what I hear her husbands family are major players in the hotel business across the world, he is much older than her if the search I did online is correct and she has provided him with an heir; so if anyone is making judgements it will be about her surely not you."
Sophia sighed. "Yes, but she works so hard, fought so much to get her job. She has made so many sacrifices, huge changes to her life and how she wanted to live it. Did you know she had to beg her first true love to let her even apply for this job. The bitch was so jealous she ended the relationship, swore to ruin Sylvie's career and even now, all these years later, tries to sabotage any deal that Sylvie makes. Its why she is so hard on Carrie. For years Carrie had Sylvie's back, then suddenly she starts dealing with the ex again and Sylvie is scared. She could loose everything."
Piper frowned. The image Sophia was painting made Sylvie seem innocent and vulnerable, not at all the impression Piper had of her. And she said Boo knew Sylvie ex. That made it sound more and more as if she was talking of Alex.
"Sylvie doesn't strike me as a person who scares easily." Piper commented remembering snippets of the argument she had overheard with Polly, "in fact since we have been here I would say it was boo that was scared. You say she is scared but of what? Her husband finding out she likes women? Because then, Sophia, it is not you she is protecting but herself!"
Sophia frowned, "Carrie is a bit of a joke though isn't she, even that ridiculous nickname, why would she be scared of Sylvie?" Sophia shrugged. "No, Carrie is only worried because she knows Sylvie wont let her ruin all the work she has done. Carrie wants to leave. To go independent. But there is no way Sylvie would let that happen, especially not now."
"What do you mean not now?"
"Well," Sophia sighed, "you have ended up caught in the middle of the fight really as Boo wants to leave the hotel to move back to America permanently. She says she wants your launch to be her last with us. Sylvie says her contract demands another year." Sophia shrugged. "I think she should let her go but hey, what do I know. History seems to be at the route of it all. I just try to keep Sylvie calm."
Piper nodded, her mind racing, trying to untangle all the information and sort out the truth from the lies and fantasy. "Well it looked like it was working last night!" she winked suddenly wanting to be anywhere but here. She glanced at her watch. "Look I really need to go check on Polly." Piper lied. "Thanks for the drink, and the chat." she smiled.
"My pleasure." Sophia smiled. "And don't worry tomorrow will be great."
Nodding Piper hastily made her exit. Instead of going straight back to find Polly however she walked outside needing fresh air, needing to think about what Sophia had just told her.
"Piper?"
Piper turned and smiled in relief as she saw Polly walk towards her. "Where have you been? I have been looking for you for ages."
"Sorry, went to the bar with Sophia." Piper shrugged.
"What are you doing out here then?" Polly frowned, she knew her friend well enough to know something was bothering her.
"I needed air, and space to think." Piper admitted.
"Why?" Polly probed.
"Because Sophia just hinted that Alex and Sylvie were a couple. Or at least they used to be. And that Alex is trying to destroy Sylvie, using us to do it."
"What?" Polly frowned. "That cant be right Piper. I mean surely Alex would have mentioned to you that she knew Sylvie, and Boo… Boo must have known if they had a past and you know she cant keep secrets."
"Think about it Pol, we heard the fight in Hartford. Alex told us, via Boo, not to mention Barneys or her. Why would she do that? And when I spoke to her earlier and I mentioned us avoiding hotel people she got very anxious. I didn't think much of it then, but now…."
"Call her Piper. It sounds like you need to call her as she is the only one who can really answer these questions."
"I cant." Piper whispered, nearly crying now.
"Why not?" Polly frowned shocked at how upset Piper was.
"Because I love her Polly. I realised today when I heard her voice. I really love her. But if I speak to her, if I'm right and this is all just to get back at an ex… shit…" Piper swiped at the tear running down her face.
"OK." Polly pulled her friend into a hug. "How about you go to bed, try to sleep. I'm going to go find Boo. I don't care what you say we deserve answers."
o0o
Piper had trouble sleeping that night. Having returned to her room she opened the message Alex had sent her. Ignoring the picture this time she read the words. She wanted Piper to call her, said she was missing her sexy voice and her hot body.
But Piper knew she couldn't call her.
She wanted to look Alex in the eye when she asked her about Sylvie. She wanted to see for herself if Alex had lied.
Getting up at 5 the next morning Piper pulled on the running shorts and t shirt Polly had mocked her for bringing and went for a run. Geography, it seemed, did not matter; running still cleared her mind and this morning she knew she needed a clear head so she could focus on the launch and nothing else.
The early hour proved to be an ideal time to run, and Piper joined the ranks of many others running along the banks of the river. By the time she was beginning to feel the exercise in her legs she turned and retraced her steps. Her mind clearer, a plan forming, she returned to her room to shower and prepare for the day. It was a disgruntled Polly who stared at Piper an hour later.
"Piper it is barely 7.30! what on earth is the matter with you."
Piper grinned pushing past Polly. "Nothing is wrong I just needed to talk to you before you saw Boo. I don't want you to mention what Sophia told me last night. Not to Boo, not to Sylvie, not to anyone."
"But why? If we are caught in the middle of something we deserve answers."
"Yes I agree. But whatever this something is it seems to be between Sylvie and Alex. I need to look Alex in the eye when I ask if the things Sophia said are true. I need to see her face when I ask if she knew Sylvie was going to be here and may hold their past relationship against us."
"And if she says yes? That she knew? What then Piper? You said yesterday you loved her, I have seen how close you have gotten, so what then?"
Piper shrugged. "I guess I need to hear it from her and see how I feel then. But Polly, we came here for us. For PoPi. So lets go do it for us and let them play whatever silly games they want."
Hugging her friend Polly stepped back. "OK. But first you can buy me breakfast for waking me up so early."
o0o
"Hey blondie. Where have you two been? I have called, knocked, searched everywhere."
"Hey Boo." Piper smiled. "Sorry, I was out running early then we went for breakfast down the street. What's up?"
"Your girlfriend is what's up! She is worried. Said she sent you a message but you didn't get back to her last night, or this morning. She was sure you'd call and when she still hadn't heard by this morning she called me to make sure I hadn't sacrificed or sold you at some gay bar. You not got your phone switched on blondie?"
"Yes, but its in the room." Piper shrugged dismissively, causing Boo to frown. "I need to focus today. I will call her later don't worry." Piper said casually. She didn't want Boo to know the extent of the confusion she was feeling now; and she knew if she heard Alex voice she would end up crying or begging answers and it was just not the right time.
"I have a feeling the moment is passed, if you get my drift," Boo remarked candidly having read Alex's concerned message and reading between the lines she guessed her friend had sent Piper more than a casual message. "Call her blondie! She is worried." Boo looked from Piper to Polly, as if trying to see if she was missing something but they began talking about the launch and soon all talk of Alex was forgotten.
o0o
A/N: So once again, THANK YOU! So many readers, followers and messages after the last chapter which I honestly thought would scare people away for good! This chapter, and the next probably, is London based, then back to USA so I can knock some heads together!
I hope this chapter reads OK, I was distracted slightly as #someoneneededtolearnnottobechasedbyducks! They know who they are ;-)
Thanks once more, I look forward to hearing what you think! A xx