I want to be okay, but I would be lying to myself if I said that I was unaffected by Piper's ability to gallivant around with her boyfriend only 12 hours after our midnight rendezvous. Total pole reversal, but what fuck do I give. I am not committal. Yet, I'm festering.

This tornado of emotion that is Piper has me flabbergasted. I don't know how to react. I don't know if I should be mad or sad. I don't know what to say to her or how I am supposed to feel towards 'find me later.' Fuck you. I asked her out, she said no; and then kissed me. I asked her why she kissed me, and she said she wanted to 'live in the moment.' I asked her to tell me to leave, and she climbed on top of my lap.

I drink further into my bourbon stupor with a mediocre cover of Satisfaction in the background. It burns going down, like my self-evaluation of what has just occurred. She wants me, the sexual tension is visceral. But she obviously has no intention of leaving her boyfriend.

"Jesus, Alex. You look like you saw a ghost," Nicky eyed me up and down from her seat in our booth as a meandered over with a handful of drinks, "Which Stone just came back from the dead??"

"Remember that blonde girl from last night?"

"Oh the one with the squeaky friend? Yeah, I recollect a certain chemistry not withstanding the magnetic fields of separation between your two somebodies." I laugh at Nicky's need to physically and metaphorically detail everything.

"I also recall those two certain somebodies leaving poste haste, together, at the end of the night to--" I motion for Nicky to keep it down, Lindsey was within earshot and I really didn't want any fireworks tonight.

"--Yes, objects in motion stay in motion – whatever, Nick-- She's here, with the boyfriend. I just ran into her at the bar." I sit down next to Nicky in our corner and throw my drink back, "and she wants to talk later."

"She's straight and unavailable? And I thought I paid good money for this cover band. Ha!" Nicky pointed to the stage. "Turns out they are just the opening act for a much greater tragedy. The tragedy where you watch your best friend make heart eyes across the crowded room only to fall on the deaf ears of a straight chick because said straight chick will never leave her boyfriend. Ipso facto, you are left to your own demise and strategic planning which involves copious amounts of liquor; your hot but, needless to say, less than focused date; and of course, to say it one more time for the people in the back – THE STRAIGHT GIRL!"

I don't answer because I don't want to admit the plausibility of Nicky's suggestion. She interrupts me as I try to suffocate myself by throwing my head in my folded arms on the table but she keeps going, "Does this seem forthcoming to you!?"

"No. It doesn't, Nicky." My voice was muffled from my soul hiding in my elbows, "I want to have a good night." I threw back another shot and handed a second to Nicky so we could do one, together. "Already far out of my mind."

Nicky threw a caring arm around my neck and patted my shoulder, "Very good, friend, let's enjoy this cover and the company – and see what the evening brings in good tidings." We toasted to the desire.

————

One set into the show and our group relocated to the bar. I knew how to start a following, and Piper was almost a distant flavor of angst mixed with logical reasoning. We had a crowd around us pounding on the bar top as Nicky and I went one for one on handless shots. The sticky pour down my cheeks as we laugh and carry on was enough victory for one night. Almost.

I saw Piper our of the corner of my eye. She was in a cozy booth with her boyfriend. He was nuzzling her neck and probably whispering sweet nothings in her ear. But her eyes. Her eyes were locked on me across the dark club. I didn't look directly at her, I am sober enough to observe from my peripheral. Barely. I didn't notice I was in a trance until Nicky noticed for me when I failed to complete my last round of our little past time game. "Shit. You really like this girl don't you glasses."

I turn my head to look at my friend as she continues "I've never beat you at this game of ours."

Nicky was onto something. But I don't respond to her. She knows what my answer is so instead I decide to swallow my feelings.

"Babe," when Lindsey didn't respond I caressed her shoulder, "Linds hop up here for a minute." Finally I turn my eyes to her. These eyes of mine could lie. They could tell you all the things you wanted to hear until I fill my hunger. Poor Lindsey. She's innocent in all of this. I do care about her, just not romantically, not like I feel about someone else. Like a hyena circling an antelope as the blood drips from its neck; to witness its last gasp. Last gasp before the feast. That's how I was looking at Lindsey.

I tap the bar top and Lindsey gracefully hoists herself up as she smiles at me seductively, knowing what's coming. She likes attention. "Bartender, give me your dirtiest body shot bombshell." Lindsey, like my puppet, is all blushed and already laying down and pulling up yer shirt to reveal her toned abs.

The crowd around us gets rowdy at the thought of me tongue-fucking a hot blonde. They are slapping their hands on the bar, getting out their phones. Nicky approaches me from the side. "You sure you know what you're doing friend?"

"I'm having fun Nick." I could keep saying that but really I was screaming inside. And of all the attention we stirred up, I really only care about the attention of one person in particular. I want her to know what I'm capable of. That she can't hurt me. That I don't care. That I want her too.

When I see Piper staring aggressively out of the corner of my eye I return my focus to Lindsey. "Ready babe?" I run my hand up her ribcage as the bartender spouts liquid into Lindsey's navel.

I hear Nicky's voice somewhere over my shoulder, "you're stone cold Vause."

"No," I whisper back to her so that only she can here as I lower my mouth to Lindsey's stomach, "I'm strategic."

With people to our left and our right, old and young; while fake Keith Richards hit the iconic notes of the guitar tempo

in Start Me Up. Behind all of the cheering, there I was making a deal with the devil. There I was licking a line of whipped cream up the chest of my prop.

And there I was watching Piper storm out of the bar.

"Well I think you a got her attention, Stretch." I immediately felt a pang of guilt ripple from the top of my throat to the ugly depths of my stomach as I wipe md mouth with my arm. Lindsey sits up and throws her arms round my neck as the crowd obviously enjoyed my pathetic display of entertainment. I fake-smile back at her, and helped her down from the bar top.

"That was hot, Alex," She was looking at me with her I can keep you distracted sex look, "let's get out of here."

I keep her intrigued enough to not notice how my attention has diverted two moments ago, "I'm just gonna go have a smoke quick, babe. Close my tab for me?" My charm has been refined over years of conquests and one night distractions. With a wink I seal the deal, exit the large metal doors, and make the subconscious decision to take the bars off my heart and chase the only distraction I want.

"Piper! Wait."

A/N: Part 1 in this two part chapter. This was the best part to diverge at. Took me a minute to get this to how I originally inspired it. Part 2 coming very very soon. Life happens sometimes but I'll try to dot my Is and cross my Ts soon.