A/N Thank you to everyone that has reviewed and/or followed this story. I have a rough idea of where this story is going, but I'm always open to suggestions from fellow Vauseman fans. Finally, I go back to work next week, so I don't know if I'll be able to update as often as I have for the first eight chapters, but I will be shooting for maybe two chapters per week.

It's almost 6:00 and Alex sighs, pushes her laptop away from her, and stretches. She has been sitting in her office since 1:00 working on the bar's new website, balancing the budget, and ordering supplies for the upcoming busy holiday season, when there is a knock at her door. Nicky pokes her head in, "Hey Vause, Brooke just called, she said she's running late and will not be able to get here until around 10:00 so that will leave us pretty short staffed with just me and Janae in the front and Gloria in the kitchen… Oh and I put that 'help wanted' sign in the window like you asked, so hopefully we can get back to normal around here soon.

"Thanks Nick, I know you have been pulling a lot of extra hours lately since I had to fire Trisha, I want you to know that I really appreciate it." "No problem Stretch, that's what friends are for, and you can make it up to me my hiring the hottest girl that applies for the job!" Alex laughs and rubs her temples trying to ease the tension headache she feels coming on, "I guess that means I'm tending bar tonight, at least until Brooke gets here, we'll see how crowded we get later. Shoot me a text when it starts getting too busy out there." Nicky nods, turns around, and heads back to the front. Alex feels her cellphone vibrate in her pocket. It's a text from Piper.

6:02 P.M. Piper: Hey Al, Polly and I got done earlier than I thought we would! Where are you? Are we still on for tonight? I'm starving

6:04 P.M. Alex: Pipes I'm sorry, one of my bartenders called and said she's not gonna be able to get here until 10:00 or so and I can't leave Nicky and Janae alone on a Saturday night.

Alex's phone rings and she smiles when she sees that it's Piper.

"Hi babe," Alex answers, "I'm sorry I hate to bail on you like this…go ahead and order yourself something, I just have Gloria whip me up some nachos or something in the kitchen and I will get out of here as soon as humanly possible.""

"It's no problem Al, don't worry about it there's no rush; although I must admit I have been looking forward to seeing you all afternoon," joked Piper. Suddenly she has an idea, she will pick up Chinese food and bring it to Alex that way they can still eat together like they had planned.

"Maybe we can still watch that movie OR SOMETHING later, Alex teased.

"Okay that sounds good, I'll see you soon Al, goodbye."

"Goodbye Pipes." The last place Alex wants to be right now is stuck at the bar instead of spending the evening with Piper, but that comes with the territory when you own your own business. Alex sighs and returns to her work.

Piper arrives at the bar at about 6:45 with three bags of Chinese food for herself and Alex. Nicky spots her immediately.

"Hey Blondie! Good to see you again! What'd you bring me? How did you know that I love Golden Dragon? Nicky teases.

"Sorry Nicky, this is for Alex and I, we haven't eaten since early this morning," Piper chortles.

Nicky gives Piper her signature shit-eating grin, "Oh that's right you must have been VERY hungry this morning... Damn Vause wouldn't tell me anything! I think the reason she won't talk about it is that she's embarrassed that she only made you come three times which is not up to Vause standard you know…"

Piper laughs, "Okay enough Nicky, where is Alex?"

Nicky finally relents, "She's in her office—go down the hallway by the restrooms and it's the last door on your left.

"Thanks Nicky—Oh by the way…" the wild-haired woman looks up from a drink she's mixing, "Eight," Piper whispers.

"Eight what?" asks Nicky.

"She made me come eight times," Piper giggles as she heads toward Alex's office.

Nicky's jaw drops as she gives a small laugh, "Way to go Stretch!"

Alex is just finishing up her supply order when she hears a knock at her door. "Nicky, I'll be right there, just give me a few minutes to grab something to eat from Gloria," Alex yells toward the door.

The door slowly opens. "Um it's not Nicky," Piper peeks around the door, "I brought you some Chinese food," she says holding up the bags.

At the sound of Piper's voice, Alex looks up from her computer and smiles at the blonde. "You little sneak, I thought we weren't meeting up until later since I'm stuck here for a while?"

"Well I thought so too, but well you have to eat right, and so do I, so I thought why not get the takeout we planned and bring it to you…" Piper enters the office and drops the bags on a small table near the door.

"Come over here," Alex whispers getting up and walking around her desk. The two women meet in the center of the room where Alex pulls Piper into a hug. "Thank you, you didn't have to do this; although I very glad you did," murmurs Alex leaning in for a kiss. Piper is the first to pull away, "Come on, I don't know about you, but I'm starving and our food is getting cold!"

Piper walks over to the table where she put the food and starts unpacking the food. "Al, I wasn't sure what you like, so I just got a whole bunch of different things. We have fried rice, Chow Mein, egg rolls, broccoli with beef, Kung Pao shrimp, and General Tso's chicken. Oh and of course fortune cookies for dessert!"

Alex digs in, "Wow Pipes, this looks and smells amazing!" Both women eat their fill and when they are finished, Piper hands Alex a fortune cookie. "Go ahead Al, open yours first," Piper whispers while staring into Alex's eyes. Alex smiles and opens her fortune cookie. She reads it aloud with her signature smirk and a raise of her eyebrow 'A thrilling time is in your immediate future.' "Well the fortune cookies never lie," Alex maneuvers Piper so that she is straddling her lap and kisses her intensely. Piper melts into the kiss, momentarily forgetting about her own fortune cookie. Alex reluctantly pulls back from the kiss, "Okay what does your fortune say kid?" Piper opens her cookie and bursts out laughing 'now is the time to try something new.' Alex and Piper fall into a fit of giggles. Both women are still laughing when there is a knock on the door.

"Hey, you two, I'm coming in so make sure you are decent!" shouts Nicky from the hallway.

"It's okay Nichols, you can come in we were just reading our fortune cookies."

"Hey Vause, there's a girl, a really hot girl by the way, that is here asking about our help wanted sign in the window," Nicky tells Alex with a wink of her eye.

"Okay, Nick, I'll be out to meet her in a minute, what's her name?"

"It's Lorna. Lorna Morello.