4

After dropping Alex at the train yard, Piper decided to head back to the office. She was hoping Nicky would be back and that she would have something for Piper to work on. Piper could really use a distraction to help with the anger that was slowly starting to rise. Each encounter with Alex was a test of her patience and she worried that patience was running out. In case Nicky wasn't at the office, Piper decided to mentally revise the files from the previous day—it never hurt to double check herself.

She was going over some numbers in her head when something silver on the passenger floor area caught her eye. It was a small rectangle the width and length of her thumb. She reached across to retrieve the item while attempting to continue driving and failed to see the piece of wood up ahead. By the time her fingers wrapped around the object, she ran over the jagged wood puncturing her tire in the process. Luckily, instead of falling off, the piece embedded itself into the rubber causing the air to slowly escape, allowing her to slow down and safely pull over onto the shoulder.

Great, just what I needed. She hit her head against the steering wheel and gripped it tighter. As she did so, something hard pressed against her palm. When she opened it, she found a small white MP3 with a silver backside. Who the hell still buys these, she wondered and tossed it in the passenger's seat. She was about to go over the list of people whom she'd given a ride to (it was a very short list) in an attempt to find the owner, when she felt the back of the car jerk-the tire going completely flat.

She switched the ignition off, almost kicked the door open, and made her way to the rear of the car to assess the damage. When she saw the gashes caused by the wooden object (which was protruding at an angle), she began cursing, kicking the tire in sync with the words leaving her mouth. "Stupid. Fucking. Piece. Of. Shit."

Finally, she stopped and walked to the edge of the road and looked down both directions. When she didn't spot any cars, she let out a sigh of frustration and stomped back to the car. She rummaged through her purse, found her phone, saw it was dead, and angrily tossed it in the passenger seat. It landed with a soft thud next to the MP3.

What am I going to do? She ran a hand through her hair and rested the other at her hip. She tried calculating the distance between her current location and the nearest gas station. If I get started right now, I'll get there in two hours-I'm fucked. She was on the verge of tears when she heard a car roll to a stop behind her; she turned around. A young man (who seemed to be in his early twenties) stepped out of a black Toyota Corolla. He flashed her a smile and gave a small wave of his hand.

"Need a hand?"

"Oh, thank God yes! I was driving and I run over a piece of wood and it punctured my tire and I didn't see anyone coming and my phone is dead and I have no idea how to change a tire and this is just great thank you so much I really appreciate it." She said without pause. When she was done, she was out of breath. He had a comprehensive look on his face as he listened to her. When she was done, he nodded and smiled again.

"No problem. Why don't I help you," he stretched his hand out, "The name's Barry by the way." He never reached Piper because at the sound of his name, Piper's face darkened. Barry came to a halt unsure if he should continue. "Something wrong?"

"I don't need your help, Larry." Piper said coolly.

"My names B-Barry." He stammered.

"I don't care. I don't need your help. Now LEAVE!" Piper screamed. Hearing the anger in her voice, the fellow ran to his car, hopped in and sped off, his tires screeching and leaving a cloud of dark smoke behind.

The last thing Piper needed was some guy whose name was a letter off from that of her ex's name, offering to help her. She didn't need Harry, or whatever his name was. Even if she'd never changed a tire before she would figure it out. After all, how difficult could it be? She walked to the back of the Jeep and opened the trunk. Moving several boxes aside, she found what she was looking for: a wrench that resembled a cross. What was it called, a cross wrench? Thinking that's all she needed, she closed the hood.

Maybe I should have paid attention that one time Cal blew a tire, she thought, but no Piper, you were too busy sitting on your ass complaining about the heat.

She kneeled down and examined the tire.

"Okay Piper," she said to herself, "if you remember correctly, there are four (or was it five) little screws on the other side of the tire thing. If you can just get it off, the rest should be a breeze…," she trailed off wondering which part of the cross wrench she should use to get the 'tire thing' off.

After a moment's debate, she placed the top of the wrench and tried pushing down on the edge of the 'tire thing' and slipped forward, her chest pressing painfully on the other end of the wrench. Angry, she screamed, stood to her full height, and began kicking the tire again. "Fucking shit!" She dropped to her knees and tried using her fingers to pry it off, but no matter how much force she used, the 'tire thing' didn't budge.

She was growing impatient when (thank God) she heard a second car rolling to a stop behind her. She tried composing herself and putting her best 'I need help' smile then turned around to look at her potential savior, only to find Alex Vause staring at her from inside her own car. "Not this moody bitch again." She whispered angrily. Her anger didn't last long as her eyes took in the car Alex had arrived in.

Piper never cared to learn about car brands or the specs behind the vehicles they offered; torque, horsepower, cylinders, and whatever else fanboys cried over meant nothing to her. Her Jeep was a testament to that. She remembered the day she walked into the car dealership's office. The salesman tried persuading her to sign off on a six figure car whose monthly payment was the same as her rent. She'd listened to him as he went on and on about how the car was meant for her. He'd even mentioned that it matched her eye color. Piper courteously listened and when he was done, she'd walked over to the Jeep and said, "That's the one." He wasn't too happy but a sale is a sale and he'd kindly opened the driver's door for her after handing over the keys. The rest was history.

She loved the Jeep. It was her baby as it got her from point "A" to point "B". But now her baby looked like a bum compared to the brunette's car. Alex's hadn't lied: it was red but not just any red. The paintjob was smooth, clean, and almost mirror-like. From where she was kneeling, Piper could see her reflection on the paint and she was sure if she were to get closer, she would be able to see her skin imperfections. Unlike her car (whose body was all white) Alex's had a black trim, a black hood, and a black spoiler in the back. This wasn't just a car, this was one hell of a car. Maybe one day, she thought, I could buy myself something similar.

"Hey, need a hand?" Alex asked stepping out and making her way toward Piper, her eyes never leaving Piper's.

"No. Thank you," Piper said breaking eye contact, "I have this under control." So why don't you get your ass back inside and go drive off a cliff.

Alex nodded, turned on her heel and walked back to her car. She opened the driver's door and was halfway in when she seemed to get second thoughts. Piper watched as Alex slowly made her way to the front of the red car and leaned against its' hood crossing her arms in the process. Alex's face was almost expressionless save for the right eyebrow she was arching challengingly: go on, change the tire. Ignoring Alex, Piper grabbed the cross wrench and began to tap around the 'tire thing'. When it didn't move, she hit it harder causing the plastic to crack loudly. Alex looked away biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.

After composing herself, Alex turned to Piper. "I take it you've never changed a tire," she said in a soft tone making sure the blonde didn't misinterpret her words as mocking.

"How would you know?" Piper snapped.

"For starters, you're trying to remove the hubcap when you haven't even removed the nuts."

So that's what the cover was called: hubcap. Piper examined it closer realizing the nuts were over it and not under. Not only did she feel stupid but she could also feel her face going red with embarrassment, the blood rushing to and warming her cheeks. Ignoring Alex, Piper placed the open end of the wrench into one of the nuts and began to turn. From the corner of her eye she saw Alex open her mouth as if she was going to say something, thought twice about it, and closed it. Alex pursed her lips and gave a slight shake of her head as if giving Piper a hint: wrong. What am I not doing right? As if reading her mind, Alex answered.

"You're at a slight incline meaning if you somehow figure how to get the tire off, your car can roll backwards and kill you if you happen to be in the way. It's not a sure thing, but very possible," Alex said as she flattened her hand and turned it down at an angle, "The other thing: where is your spare? Let me guess, in your car?" When Piper stayed silent, Alex continued, "Okay, let's not worry about that and pretend you're lucky enough to get the flat out and you're still alive-I don't suppose you're planning on using you're superhuman strength to lift the Jeep?"

"I'm not useless if that's what you think," Piper defended herself.

"I never said you were."

"I can do it on my own."

"I strongly doubt it."

"What are you, the fucking car expert of the world?"

"I'm someone who knows how to change a tire," Alex answered.

Piper had no counterargument so she stuck with her guns, "I don't need your help."

"I get it Piper."

"No you don't."

Alex took a step forwards making sure she didn't go any further than Piper would be comfortable with. She could see the blonde's silent plea for help but also saw the pride holding her back. "I do. You're a strong woman, I have no doubts about it but," another step, "sometimes we need help. Even I need a hand every now and then. It's perfectly normal not to know…how to change a tire." What Alex really wanted to say was that it was okay for Piper not to know everything, but Alex had a feeling the other woman would not have taken it lightly. To spare herself a concussion—Piper still had her hand around the wrench—Alex tried sympathizing with Piper and used herself as an example.

"As if you change your own tires." Piper snorted. What would Alex know about mechanics? Considering Alex could buy a new car in case the current one broke down. At least that's what she alluded to back at the airport. What had she said about being tired of things and needing new ones? "I could use a new wardrobe so I'm going to buy a whole new closet full of expensive designer clothes and throw the barely worn shirts and pants I own because I'm Alex Vause and I can buy the world"? Okay, maybe Piper added a few of words but still…

"I actually do. I do my own oil change, breaks, and anything that doesn't require hauling this bad boy," Alex tapped the hood of her car loudly, "eight feet in the air."

"Why?" Piper asked.

"Why not?"

"Why not just pay someone else to do it?" You can afford it, Piper left out.

"Because I like doing things for myself. There's nothing wrong with being knowledgeable in different areas other than what you excel at. Sure, my main area of expertise is Vause Industries, but that doesn't mean that's all I want to do. I have a life outside the office, but most importantly, I like being independent." Just in case Piper wasn't fully convinced, Alex added, "Like you."

Alex watched in silence as the gears in Piper's head began to slowly move, analyzing what the brunette had said. Piper bit her lip, looked down to her now stained white pants before slowly shaking her head up and down in defeat.

"Okay." She conceded.

"I'm going to need your keys," Alex said and in one fluid motion Piper tossed them to Alex who caught them with ease. Alex then walked to the back of the Jeep, opened the trunk, and lifted the carpet revealing a hidden compartment.

"I didn't know my car had that," Piper said peering over Alex's shoulder.

"You would be surprised how many people don't know either," Alex answered. She lifted the door to the compartment revealing a set of tools. Taking them out one by one, she set them next to the flat. Next, she unhitched the spare, let it drop on the ground and rolled it over next to the tools, letting it drop with a loud thump. She then lowered herself and began sorting the tools.

Piper watched intently and after a minute of deliberation asked, "Would you mind teaching me?" Alex stopped what she was doing and turned to Piper, the question having taken her by surprise. "If you don't mind," Piper quickly added when she noticed Alex's eyebrows slightly lift.

"No, not at all," Alex said and patted the ground next to her. Piper kneeled next to Alex as the brunette began to talk in a friendly but instructional tone, "Most cars come equipped with the necessary tools to change a spare. Including the spare itself. Every now and then you might have to buy your own jack or wrench but I know for a fact that cars don't come with wheel wedges. Wait here," Alex stood and walked to her own car, opened her trunk, and then came back with two blocks of metal that resembled waves in still motion. "These," she continued, handing one to Piper, "go under the set of tires you're not changing to prevent the car from rolling back. Why don't you go ahead and place yours on the front tire and I'll take care of the one on the other side."

When she came back she made sure Piper's wheel wedge was snugly fit under the tire, nodded in approval, then took her spot next to the blonde. "Okay, now that we have everything, here comes the fun part." Alex said. She removed her blazer, set it aside, and began to roll the sleeves of her dress shirt. As she did so, Piper couldn't help but look at Alex's forearms and the way they clenched and unclenched each time she folded the fabric. She averted her eyes when Alex began to speak again.

"Now that the car is secure, can you guess what the next step is?" Alex asked.

Piper thought for a second, "Removing the nuts."

"Yes, but not entirely. You only twist them about a quarter of the way and in a cross pattern. For example, if you start at the bottom left the next one would be your top right. They're called lug nuts by the way. And this is a…," Alex trailed off, holding the cross wrench in her hand. She lifted her right eyebrow and waited for Piper to answer.

"Lug wrench?"

"Correct. Some people call it a cross wrench. Moving on…Most cars use the same size lugs with the occasional exception. All you have to do is insert the open end and twist," Alex explained as she placed the wrench over the lug and began to turn, "It might take some elbow grease but they'll eventually come right…off," Alex grunted the last word. She repeated the process two more times. When she was on the last one, she stopped and turned to Piper, "Care to give it a try? You asked me to teach you. I should have let you do the others as well so you got a feeling for it." She gave Piper and apologetic smile. Piper was hesitant, unsure if she should take the brunette's offer. Her eyes shifted between the wrench, the tire, and Alex's hand and back again.

"I don't think that's a good idea," She finally said with a slight shake of her head.

"Come on," Alex insisted.

"I don't think I can."

"Sure you can. Just try it," Alex said encouragingly.

"No, I really don't think I should." Piper bit her lip. She wanted to give it a go but was afraid to embarrass herself.

"You know the first time I changed a spare, I didn't tighten the nuts enough and the tire almost came right off after I'd driven a quarter of a mile. What I would have done then to have someone explain to me the way I am explaining to you and have avoided the scare. I'm not going to force you to do it, but it would make me comfortable if you did." Alex held out the wrench again and this time Piper took it.

She tried replicating Alex's movements but found the nut tighter than she'd originally thought. Remembering what Alex said earlier, she pushed her full weight down on the wrench being careful not to slip forward lest she wish to hurt her chest again. With a click, the lug turned and Piper let out a triumphant yelp.

"How did I do?" She asked, proud of her small accomplishment and seeking Alex's approval.

"Not too bad." Alex said. She was smiling at Piper and for a small eternity they held each other's gaze unsure of what was happening. When Alex didn't say anything else, Piper cleared her throat signaling they should resume their task.

"And now?" Piper asked turning away, the flutter in her stomach not going unnoticed. Alex took her time in responding and when she did, her voice was low and soft. Piper wondered why.

"Now we use the jack to lift the car several inches from the ground," Alex grabbed a rhombus like tool and handed it to Piper. "When placing the jack you want to make sure it's up against a flat surface. Otherwise, the jack can slip and the car will drop." She traced the underside of the car until she found a spot she was satisfied with. After allowing Piper to have a look for herself, Alex placed the jack underneath the car and began to rotate the small handle, lifting the car slowly.

While Alex continued to explain, Piper found her eyes wondering away from Alex's hands. Piper knew she should be paying close attention but she couldn't stop her eyes as they roamed up Alex's arms, past her chest, and stopped at her face. She examined Alex's features and found that she looked slightly better than she had the day at the airport. There were still bags under her eyes, however, they weren't as dark. Her hair was no longer a warzone; it was neatly combed, shining in the sun in similar fashion as the paint of the red car. No, it wasn't greasy or oily, but the darkness behind it reflected the sun's lights in some places. And what was that smell of the perfume she wore? It smelled unlike anything she would have guessed Alex to use. Sweet and fruity-like.

Piper had to admit that she was impressed with Alex and the patience she had while teaching Piper. She didn't frustrate when the blonde asked a question or when Piper interrupted her asking to repeat what she had said a few seconds earlier. Rather, Alex seemed content. Happy almost, to be helping Piper. She laughed when she had to, nodded when Piper guessed something right, and corrected her when she didn't.

But the more time she spent with Alex, the more uncomfortable Piper began to feel until she had the sudden urge to run away as far as possible. Not because she didn't like Alex, no, but because the fluttering had returned. Her stomach twisting and turning like a child on a trampoline. She could feel the blood rushing to her face and warming her cheeks and wondered if Alex had noticed the change in Piper's breathing. Why are you having this effect on me?

Piper had not been this close to another human since Larry. Besides that, just a few days ago she had been looking for someone to spend the night with. Surely, she thought to herself, that is the reason my body is reacting the way it is. But with a woman?

Back in college, she had her fair share of experiences with both genders and had come to the conclusion that she liked men. Sure, every now and then she found a woman attractive but that didn't imply she wanted to jump in bed with her. Not that it was any different with Alex…but the only time's she'd ever felt her stomach fluttering and the red cheeks…no, that couldn't be it. She barely knew the woman to be thinking that far ahead.

She shifted uncomfortably, putting a couple more inches of distance between them but not enough to make it obvious that something was wrong. All the meanwhile, Alex continued to talk. Piper was in the process of searching for an excuse to send Alex away, when she heard a car revving. She looked down the road and noticed a car similar to Alex's driving in their direction, except this one was sky blue. Please pull over…

Her plea was answered and she watched the driver pull behind Alex's car. At that moment, Alex stood along with Piper and they both waited for the driver to get out. A man in his early thirties stepped out. He was casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and had on a pair of sunglasses. As he approached them, he pushed the sunglasses over his head and smiled like the cocky asshole Piper was sure he was. When he passed Alex's car, he ran his hand along the body and Piper could see Alex's body tense. It's just a car, Piper thought, but pushed the thought aside when he spoke.

"Ladies," he said loudly as his chest puffed out. No doubt he was presenting himself as their hero. What a prick Piper thought. "Do you know what you're doing?" He asked. He smiled again and when Piper met his eyes, he winked at her. Whatever fluttering had been going on earlier was gone as a result of this douchebag.

Instinctively, Alex placed herself between the man and Piper. "We're fine. Thanks." She said in the same cool tone Piper had first used when Alex offered to help Piper.

"Are you sure?" he insisted. He was looking at Piper, ignoring Alex.

"We're sure." Alex said, this time louder.

Send him away, Piper. That is the right thing to do. Send him away. She ignored the little voice inside her head and tapped Alex on the shoulder. When the taller woman turned around, Piper noticed the hardness behind Alex's eyes. She could almost swear she saw small flames dancing behind them. When they met Piper's they softened. Piper averted her gaze, conscious of what she was about to do, "Listen, I don't want to take more of your time." No, no, don't do this Piper. Piper could feel Alex's eyes on her but she concentrated on a small rock.

"You're not," Alex said softly, reaching to touch Piper's hand.

"I think you should go," Piper said. She watched Alex stop, her hand floating in the air, before letting it drop to her side. With a nod, Alex turned away and began walking to her car. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, "Thanks for your help," Piper called.

Alex didn't reply, only held her hand out in a peace sign over her shoulder. She got in her car, slammed the door, and drove off, passing only a few inches from Piper and the man's body.

When she was gone, the man turned to Piper, "What the hell is her problem?"

Piper shrugged, feigning ignorance. "I don't know."

…

An hour later, Piper and Steven (the man's name) were sitting in a small waiting area of a car shop. After helping her change the tire he had insisted he follow her to the nearest car shop to make sure she would be okay. Thinking he would leave afterwards, Piper agreed. Except Steven didn't leave and proceeded to talk up a storm about himself.

He was thirty one and next in line to take over the family business. While he had never cared to go to college or taken the time to learn about his parents' trait, he was pretty confident he would do a better job than them. He talked about the various cars and houses he owned (or rather his parents owned); how he spent his youth partying; and once again, how perfect he was fitted to lead the company that would belong to him in the future.

No matter how hard Piper tried to ignore him and give the man a hint that she wasn't interested, he would not leave. Once or twice, she caught him looking at hear cleavage when he thought she wasn't aware. He'd also spotted him adjusting his crotch in an attempt to his bulging manhood. She was disgusted by him.

Piper couldn't help but notice how different he was from Alex despite having similarities. They both owned the same car, they both were thirty-one, and neither of them went to college. Yet, somehow, Alex was far more mature than he was. Steven was, almost child-like. No not child-like because even a child had more common sense than he; Steven was a joke.

Alex.

Why had she sent her away? What was she afraid of?

"Ma'am," a voice called. Piper looked up at the mechanic who was wiping his hand on a dirty rag, "You're car is ready."

Pier paid and walked outside ready to leave, Steven at her heels. She closed the door and rolled the window down wanting to thank him and hoping to get rid of him. He leaned against the window and peered inside.

"So uh, you're good to go, huh?" He smiled at her. His eyes flickered to her chest.

"Hmm."

"Listen, if you don't mind I would like to meet up with you for drinks." He said.

"Sure."

Steven was more surprised at her answer than she was.

"Cool. Cool. So can I get your number?"

After giving him her number, she watched him walk back to his car. He was walking as if he'd somehow scored with her. He hadn't and he never would. Piper wasn't even sure why she had agreed to meet up with him. She blamed it on the fatigue before rolling out of the car shop. It's not like she was actually going out with him. She could easily block his number.

…

It was late into the evening when she got home. She parked her car, grabbed her bag, when she noticed the small MP3 next to her dead phone.

She smiled, sure of whom it belonged to.

You guys are awesome. I appreciate you reading and reviewing. As well as the follows and favorites.

I am curious about something: is the person from the following two reviews the same? Because both times I have laughed. I think it's funny they post one word reviews. Like you're trying but you don't know what to say but for my sake you post. I'm not making a joke out of it, I just think it's awesome! So let me know if you are the same person!

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Awesome

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cool