Hey, guys. Here we are, chapter 4. I've actually had this partly written for a while, before I even finished the previous chapter. It was floating around my head and I had to write it down before I forgot lol. This is it, their coffee 'date'. The Vauseman reunion. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 4:
Alex arrived at the coffee shop (their coffee shop) early. Her apartment was only a few blocks away from the coffee shop, so she decided to clear her head and walk the short distance. Even with the short walk and stopping to buy cigarettes, she was still ten minutes early. The brunette sipped a cup of black coffee as she waited.
As the brunette finished her coffee, she checked her phone.
1:03pm
'She's late.' Alex thought to herself as she anxiously jiggled her leg. 'Guess I've time for a smoke before she gets here… If she gets here.' Alex thought as she reached for her new pack of cigarettes and nodded to the waitress that she was going outside for a smoke.
Piper showered as fast as she could, quickly dried herself and put on the outfit she had already left out. The blonde dried and straightened her hair then quickly applied make-up. She wanted to look good, but she didn't want to be late. With a final glance in the mirror, she was ready to go. Piper checked her phone as she left the house.
12:58pm
''Fuck… I'm late!'' Piper said to herself in a panic.
'By the time I get a cab and drive through the traffic, I'm gonna be really late. It'll be faster to walk… It's only like 5 blocks.' Piper thought as she started to power walk.
Alex had finished her smoke and she was back sitting at the table. The brunette had picked a table in the corner of the coffee shop for them to talk privately. Alex was nervously waiting as she checked her phone every few seconds for messages.
1:09pm
'Maybe Piper's not coming. She probably chickened out. She would have at least sent a text though, right?' Alex thought anxiously as she checked her phone (again).
1:10pm
Piper made it to the coffee shop fashionably late, flushed and slightly out of breath.
'I need to go running more, I'm getting out of shape.' Piper thought as she checked the time on her phone.
1:13pm
Alex sat at her corner table feeling disappointed at the thought of being stood up by the blonde (the love of her life). The brunette was debating whether to get another cup of coffee and wait or just leave when the bell above the door chimed. In walked the blonde currently occupying the older woman's thoughts.
Alex secretly checked out the younger woman while she glanced around the coffee shop (looking for her).
'Damn… Piper still looks gorgeous. But she looks more grown up… Sophisticated. Even hotter if that's possible.' Alex thought as she stared not so subtly.
Piper stood awkwardly in the doorway as she glanced around the crowded coffee shop. Now that she was here, her nerves had kicked in. The longer she stood unable to spot the brunette, the more awkward and embarrassed she felt.
'Maybe Alex left. I am almost fifteen minutes late. Should I stand here and wait until she spots me? Well, if she has already left, I'll be standing her waiting forever, literally. Should I grab a coffee and look less awkward? If she is still here, that just makes me look rude. Damn it!' Piper thought as she glanced around the room, she could feel her cheeks heating up and it had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.
Alex could tell from across the room that the blonde was getting flustered, so she decided to put her out of her misery. As soon as the brunette stood, the younger woman spotted her immediately and made her way over.
''Hey, Alex.'' Piper said with a warm smile.
''Hey, Piper.'' Alex said as she returned the smile, taking a small step forward as she raised her arms. ''I uh, I'm not sure if we're meant to…'' The brunette awkwardly trailed off her sentence.
''Hug? We should hug! We're old friends.'' Piper replied as she leaned into the older woman.
As the (ex) couple hugged they both felt a spark of electricity, like old times. This caused them to hold each other a little tighter and longer, until they slowly pulled away and sat down opposite the other at the table.
''You know, we were never friends, Piper.'' Alex stated with a smirk.
''We weren't?'' Piper asked with confusion wrote across her face.
''No! Not for a second... I loved you. I loved having sex with you.'' Alex said with a devilish smirk.
Piper stared back with a loving gaze, before she could reply the waitress interrupted them.
''Afternoon, what can I get you?'' The waitress asked Piper.
''Oh, um… I'll have a skimmed vanilla latte, please.'' Piper replied with a friendly smile.
''Okay, sure.'' The waitress replied as she wrote the order down. ''Refill, Alex?'' The waitress asked with an overly friendly smile.
''Yeah, please. Thanks, Ellie.'' Alex replied with a smile.
''No problem, Alex. I'll be right back.'' Ellie said with a wink as she walked away.
''First name basis with the staff… Come here a lot, Al?'' Piper asked with a hint of jealousy.
''It serves the best coffee closest to my apartment. No need to get jealous, Pipes.'' Alex replied with a wink.
''Jealous? I'm not jealous!'' Piper answered defensively.
''You totally are, kid.'' Alex replied with a smug smirk.
''I'm not.'' Piper confirmed, taking a deep breath as she straightened her posture and poker face. ''You're single, free to date and sleep with whoever you choose.'' Piper said with a blank expression.
''Who said that I'm single?'' Alex questioned with a smirk as she raised her perfect eyebrow.
''You're not?'' Piper asked trying to hide her look of disappointment.
''Afraid not, kid.'' Alex replied with a smirk.
''Who's the lucky woman? Oh god… Don't tell me it's the waitress!'' Piper asked with a look of shock.
''Her name is Ellie; in case you hadn't heard. And, what's wrong with dating a waitress?'' Alex questioned with a straight face.
''Nothing's wrong with dating a waitress… I just thought you could do better.'' Piper awkwardly replied with her foot in the mouth disease.
''Better? You know my mom spent most of her life working as a waitress. Also, you were working as a waitress when we first started dating... Always so waspy, Pipes.'' Alex answered, trying to hold back a smirk.
''I'm sorry, Alex. I didn't mean to be so rude and judgemental. Especially considering the fact that I used to waitress, it's basically how we met. I'm sure Ellie is a lovely woman. I hope you guys are good together.'' Piper replied sincerely with a friendly smile.
''Piper, I'm just fucking with you.'' Alex explained as she burst out laughing. ''Although we're good together in bed.'' Alex said with a cocky smirk.
''You asshole!'' Piper said through a laugh. ''So, there's no woman in your life?'' Piper asked looking hopeful.
''Nope. Free to fuck whoever I choose, as you put it.'' Alex replied with a smirk.
''I don't think I put it quite so bluntly. Wait, you said you're good together in bed… You are hooking up with the waitress?'' Piper questioned as a wave of jealousy washed over her.
''Again, her name is Ellie. Yeah, we hook up occasionally.'' Alex answered feeling smug watching a jealous blonde.
''Speak of the devil, your girlfriend's coming over.'' Piper said, annoyance clear in her voice.
Ellie walked to the table placing two hot coffees in front of the (ex) couple.
''Here you guys go… Enjoy! Let me know if you need anything else (Ellie looked at the brunette) at ALL!'' Ellie said as she gently placed a hand on the brunette's shoulder.
''Thanks, babe.'' Alex replied with a wink as Ellie walked away.
''So, you still live in the same apartment?'' Piper asked, taking a sip of her coffee as she tried to change the awkward conversation and tame the jealousy she could feel bubbling.
'Our apartment!' Piper thought to herself with a heavy heart filled with guilt.
''Yeah… I was gonna move, but I always loved that apartment.'' Alex replied with a sad smile.
''Yeah, me too.'' Piper said, almost in a whisper with a matching smile.
''So… How's life treating you, kid?'' Alex asked, changing the awkward subject.
''Erm… It's okay. Good, I mean.'' Piper answered nervously.
''What, I don't get any more details than that?'' Alex questioned with a raspy chuckle. ''Do you work? What do you do for a living?'' Alex asked with a friendly smile.
''I-I, uh, I co-own an artisan soap company with, erm, you remember Polly?'' Piper nervously answered.
''That's awesome, Pipes! Why are you so nervous?'' Alex asked with a warm, reassuring smile.
''I-I, erm, I thought that you'd think it was stupid.'' Piper replied as she avoided eye contact.
''No way, Pipes! I think it's fucking amazing. You were able to go out and create a business opportunity for yourself. Yes, how could I forget Molly. Tell me more about your company.'' Alex said with a reassuring smile.
''It's called PoPi. P–O–P–I. It's an amalgamation of Polly and Piper. Polly started making soaps in her kitchen, I suggested that we turn it into a business and here we are. We're in a few stores, we're trying to get into Barney's.'' Piper explained excitedly.
''That's really amazing, Piper! I'm proud of you, kid.'' Alex replied with a genuine smile.
''So, are you still working for the cartel?'' Piper asked curiously (she would be lying if she said the curiosity wasn't eating her).
''I bet you've been dying to ask that.'' Alex said with a dry chuckle. ''Yeah… Well, not at the moment.'' Alex answered bluntly.
''What do you mean, Al?'' Piper asked confused.
''The cartel's… Taking a break right now.'' Alex replied straight to the point.
''Why?'' Piper questioned, even more confused than before.
''Our financial accountant is on vacation, she had holiday days to use up.'' Alex responded with a smirk as the blonde glared back at her. ''What?'' Alex asked with a smirk.
''Stop being an ass… You're the one that wanted to meet for coffee.'' Piper said, feeling frustrated.
''A few of the kids got picked up and in exchange for shorter sentences, they talked. Then more got scooped and they talked too. Drug mules have big mouths.'' Alex replied casually, as if they were talking about the weather.
''Oh my God! Why aren't you freaking out? You could go to prison, Alex!'' Piper asked in a panic.
''I'm not really that bothered, Piper.'' Alex replied uninterested.
''Not bothered? About going to prison… You could get 20 years, maybe life!'' Piper almost screamed.
''I'm aware of the consequences, Piper.'' Alex snarked back.
''Why don't you care?'' Piper questioned, frustrated at the brunette.
''I've travelled the world, possibly a dozen times over. I own millions, in all sorts of untraceable accounts. I own lots of houses in different countries and cars to match… I'm tired of it all. I'm ready to settle down, even if that is in a prison somewhere.'' Alex replied sounding defeated.
''What the fuck, Al… You want to settle down in PRISON?'' Piper screamed, drawing attention to them.
''Can you keep your voice down, please! Look, I have 3 options; 1. I could run and disappear. Probably never be found, but it's much the same as how I'm living now. 2. I could turn on the cartel like everyone else, get a reduced sentence but the cartel would have me killed. Or, 3. I can keep my mouth shut and do my time… Finally settle down. The third option sounds the best to me, what do you think?'' Alex explained as she searched the blonde's ocean blue eyes.
''Go on the run, Al. At least you'd be safe.'' Piper whispered, feeling worried.
''I don't want that, kid. It's nerve wracking, always looking over your shoulder. And it's a lonely life, much like the cartel.'' Alex explained, trying to reason with her ex love.
''You don't live a lonely life; I know you, Alex. You have lots of friends and I'm sure women falling at your feet.'' Piper said with a smirk.
''You know me, huh? So, who's these friends I have?'' Alex challenged with a raised eyebrow.
''Kubra, Fahri and all your mules or 'kids' as you like to call them. You guys all party together.'' Piper replied, smiling at old times.
''Kubra is my boss and Fahri is dead. I don't party with the mules anymore; I'm not allowed to… See? Lonely life.'' Alex responded with a serious expression.
''Fahri's dead? What happened? And what do you mean you're not allowed to?'' Piper asked filled with curiousity.
''Those are stories for another time, kid.'' Alex replied as she subconsciously ran her hand along her forearm.
''Okay… But that doesn't mean you have a lonely life, Alex.'' Piper said with a reassuring smile.
''My mom's dead, Fahri's dead, the mules aren't my friends. I don't have any fucking friends and I might have a different girl in my bed every night but it's just sex. I have no one. What's the point in going from one lonely life on the run to another?'' Alex stated with a defeated look.
''You don't deserve to spend the rest of your life behind bars, Al.'' Piper pleaded with glistening eyes.
''I'm tired of hiding, running and fighting, Pipes. I fucked my life up. It's my problem. That's why I wanted to meet you today. To see you one last time before I go. Other than my mom, you're my biggest regret. It's too late to make amends to Diane, but…'' Alex explained, looking vulnerable.
''You want to make amends to me?'' Piper asked surprised.
''Yeah, kid. I do.'' Alex said with a small smile.
''I should be the one apologising to you, Al. For…'' Piper was cut off by Alex.
''It's okay, Pipes. I get why you left; it took a while for me to see it, but I understand now. I shouldn't have dragged you into my lifestyle, you had every right to leave… Although your timing sucked. But I get it, kid. I couldn't have escaped the cartel with my life intact even if I wanted to. And for the record, I did want to… For you.'' Alex said sincerely with tears in her eyes.
''Oh, Alex… I wish you could've left with me.'' Piper said with tears falling from her eyes as she reached for her ex-girlfriend's hand.
''Me too, kid.'' Alex smiled a sad smile.
''When do you go to prison?'' Piper asked in a quiet voice.
''I don't know. The cartel's been quiet for a couple of months now, laying low. I haven't been brought in, questioned or heard anything yet. But I know my names been given… It's just a matter of time now.'' Alex stated the facts she knew.
''Can we go back to your place, Al?'' Piper asked as she stared into emerald green eyes (finally reconnecting the missing piece of her, after three long years apart).
There you go guys, chapter 4. Sorry it's taken me so long to finish and get this posted. It's just been a crazy few months. Hell, it's been a crazy year! I hope everyone is keeping safe and well. Also, I hope you're still interested and haven't given up on this story. I plan to continue and update as soon as I can. I haven't proof read, so I apologise in advance for any mistakes. I just wanted to get it posted as soon as, thought I'd kept you waiting long enough. Let me know what you think. I hope you like the latest update. Stay safe, guys!