"Hey, Nicky, I'm home." Piper bounced into the apartment with a goofy grin on her face and found herself staring at Nicky and Lorna who were swiftly trying to get their clothes back on.
"Oh my god.." Piper tried to avert her eyes, not that she hadn't seen it all before.
"Hey, Piper!" Lorna called out as she smoothed out her hair.
Nicky came rushing over to her. "How did the meeting go? Was she a stuck up bitch? Jesus, with all that money she must be. I'm sorry I couldn't be there."
Piper smirked. "Actually she was really nice! We ended up having dinner. She seems keen, anyway, so, I think we have it in the bag. How did your day go?" Piper tried to divert the conversation.
"Well, as you could see before, it was going well. Whats up with you anyway, Chapman, you look different. I don't know what it is, there's just something different about you."
"I've just had a good day, I'm really excited about that contract."
It suddenly dawned on Nicky. "Oh my god, was boss lady hot? You have a crush don't you?"
"No, no, I mean, yes she was hot."
"I knew it!"
"So, How're you gonna tell Scarlett that your bit on the side is a millionaire?"
"Shut up, Nicky. It's not like that. Plus, I'm not actually with Scarlett."
"Oh? Isn't it? Because you came in here looking all dopey and I'm supposed to pretend that you didn't like her?"
"Yes, that's exactly what you're supposed to do."
Nicky held her hands out in mock surrender, her eyebrows raised. "ok, ok, Chapman, but don't expect me to skip out on the next meeting, I need to see if this chick is as hot as you think."
Piper rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone as she walked to her room, she decided to text Alex.
"Hey, Nicky's been quizzing me about the meeting all day. She thinks I have a crush on you. She said there's no way she's skipping the next meeting, she has to see if you're as hot as my face makes out."
Piper's phone lit up with a response five minutes later.
"And do you?"
Piper couldn't help but roll her eyes. She'd never changed, still mocking Piper endlessly.
"I mean, I guess so, I think we will have to have another meeting so I can check. – what are we going to do about Nicky?"
"Keep it from her for now, I'll do some thinking. I guess our next meeting will have to be over dinner, your soap fragrances make me terribly hungry, Miss Chapman."
Piper grinned to herself as she read the message. She loved the fact she would be eating dinner with Alex again tomorrow.
Xxxxxx
Piper and Nicky were having a busy week, it was the lead up to Christmas and their sales in their own little store had tripled. Piper knew they definitely needed to hire another person. She was frustrated at not being able to see Alex again yet. Every time they arranged to meet, something would come up and either Piper or Alex would have to cancel. They were both so grateful to have each other back that the plans didn't phase them too much. Today was different, however, and Piper was feeling the pull.
"Nick, do you want to go grab us some lunch while it's quiet in here? I'm starving but I really have to sort out interviews and stuff."
"Yeaahh, Interviews, right. When are you having another interview with hot boss lady?" Nicky queried, making Piper roll her eyes.
"Caesar Salad, thanks. From Schnitzel Palace." Piper said, ignoring Nicky's jabs at her.
"Oh, man, really Piper? All the way over the other side of town?"
"They do good croutons on it! It's essential, it has to be Schnitzel Palace."
Nicky groaned as she pushed open the door and entered the cold. Piper smirked to herself, knowing she had bought herself some time to call Alex.
She let the phone ring until it went to voicemail. "Hey, uh, Elizabeth. I tried to call but you probably already knew that. Uh, maybe call me back when you get time? I've missed you. Oh this is Piper, by the way… but you probably knew that too. Ok. Uh, bye."
Piper ran her hand through her hair, she couldn't believe how flustered Alex made her even after all this time, after all they had been through.
XXXXXX
Nicky wandered lazily into the café, it was new, she could still smell the fresh paint. The place was decked out in wood, green leafy plants and hanging lights. It looked really nice. She placed their lunch order and then turned around to sit down when someone caught her eye. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes impossibly wide. Piper had been right, there was a woman with red hair who looked exactly like Alex. She was passing by the front of the café and then turned and crossed the road before Nicky could get out of the doors. She yelled as loud as she could. "ALEX?!" The woman looked as if she turned slightly to look but then changed her mind at the last moment, as if something had stopped her.
Nicky couldn't believe it. She didn't know if she should tell Piper. Whether she should dredge it up when she seemed to be doing so well lately.
Walking back to the apartment Nicky decided she would tell Piper she wasn't crazy and that she saw someone who looked scary like Alex but it couldn't have been her.
XXXXX
Piper was still going through paperwork when Nicky walked back through the door. Everything about her mood had changed and Piper wondered what had happened while she had been out.
"Hey, is it busy out there? – thanks, I'm starving!" Piper said, taking her salad box from Nicky and setting it down on the table in front of her.
"Look, Piper, I gotta tell you something.. I just don't want ya freaking out, I just want you to know you're not as fucking stark raving bonkers as I first thought."
Piper was looking at Nicky expectantly. Her heart was pounding at what Nicky might say…
"I saw that woman you were talking about today, the one who looked exactly like Vause. I've gotta tell you, I've never seen anyone look as much like anyone. I mean, did Vause dye her hair?"
Piper blushed, her mouth hanging open. "Um, I mean, I don't know."
"What you were with her for years and you don't know if she dyed her hair? Did the carpet match the drapes?"
Piper scrunched her face up. "I'm not discussing what may have been in my ex fiance's pants with you."
"Ok, have it your way… on a more serious note I honestly think we should look into it more, Piper."
"Yeah, maybe, but right now we have to do this!" Piper said, gesturing towards the large pile of papers in front of her."
XXXXXX
Piper had finally managed to break free from work before 7pm, it was a miracle.
She had decided to call in to Alex's place and even if Alex was working, she would still be able to see her at least.
As she approached the door she could feel her heart rate increase and her breathing pick up. She rolled her eyes at herself that Alex could get her like this even after all this time.
"AL? You in?" Piper shouted, knocking on the door.
Alex appeared at the door, her hair wet from the shower she must have been in the middle of.
"Oh, sorry, were you showering? I was thinking we could grab takeout later?" Piper said with a sheepish grin on her face as she walked in. She couldn't help her eyes as they wandered down Alex's towel clad frame.
Alex smirked as she caught on. "You know, if you took a picture, it would last longer."
Piper blushed and smiled in response. Alex pulled her in closer. "C'mere." Alex husked as she leant in to kiss Piper. Before long, things had gotten heated and Piper had undone Alex's towel, letting it slip away from her body. She stood back and marvelled at how Alex hadn't changed a bit. Alex pulled her back in and started removing her clothes. When they were both naked, Alex picked Piper up, her legs wrapped around her torso and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. Piper's eyes widened as she took in the sight. "Jesus, this is a bit of a difference to Litchfield…"
The walls were a plum colour and the bedsheets, as Piper noted, were patterned and luxurious as she was laid down onto them. There was only a couple of books laid on a giant antique ottoman that lay at the foot of the bed, which Piper found odd, considering Alex's love of books.
Alex was kissing down her body and Piper's senses were in overdrive as everything familiary about Alex came flooding back. She knew her, she knew her body, what got her going. Piper was loving every second of it.
"Oh, fuck, Al!" She moaned as Alex wrapped her mouth around her perfectly taut nipple.
Alex made her way down Piper's body and slipped beneath the sheets. Piper yelled out as Alex's mouth made contact with her core.
It didn't take long before Piper was coming undone under Alex's command, gasping and shuddering as her orgasm gripped her body.
Alex slowly made her way back up Piper's body, planting kisses here and there as she did so. When she got to Piper's face she noticed she was crying.
"Pipes? What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"
Piper grasped Alex and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I've missed you so much, Al. I honestly didn't think I was gonna see you or get you back."
"Shhh, shh, it's ok, I'm here now. Piper, you have to understand, I had to wait, I didn't have a choice."
Piper nodded her head and sniffled as she cried into Alex's shoulder. "I don't ever want to lose you again. It hurt's too much. When I proposed to you, what I said was true. You really do make life hurt less for me, Al."
Alex smiled as she removed Piper back to look into her eyes. "And you won't, I promise. One step at a time."
Hey guys, we finally have the internet connected! Hurray!
Hope you all enjoy,
as always, please review,
Lise xx
