Chapter 4
The bar was quiet, a few people that Piper guessed where regulars sat spread around the different tables as the jukebox played soft rock music in the corner. Piper was frozen to the spot as she looked at the empty table where she imagined Alex had been sitting. "Yo Blondie!" The woman with wild hair behind the bar was looking directly at her and she seemed to be the only blonde in the bar. "You looking for Stretch."
Piper could only frown at the woman trying to decipher what she was saying. "Are you talking to me?" Piper pointed to herself to re-enforce the fact. The woman behind the bar nodded at her and signalled for Piper to come on over.
"Your Chapman yeah?"
Still confused as to how this strange woman knew her name Piper simply nodded her head as she approached hoping the bar woman would elaborate some more. "Vause has just had to make a call, she told me to get you a drink. So what's your poison?"
Piper was still trying to take everything in and looking blankly at the collection of spirits behind the bar.
"Er…a margarita please."
"Alrighty then Chapman has expensive tastes."
There was something endearing about this bar tender, her lazy sentences and jerky movements made her seem like a child who had had too much sugar. Piper liked her! She watched her mix the spirits as she haphazardly threw the cocktail together. Piper was so entranced with this woman that it was only as the drink slid over the bar towards her Piper felt a presence beside of her and heard that now familiar deep voice of Alex Vause.
"Bit cold out for a margarita don't you think?"
As soon as Pipers eyes landed on the tall woman she could not help but smile. Alex was leaning against the bar; her green eyes were fixed on Piper, as they glistened in the light of the bar. Her hand idly drifted through the air before it found its final resting place on Pipers forearm, sending an electric current to run through Pipers body.
"I am so glad you came."
Alex had moved in closer and her voice was barely audible over the other sounds within the bar. The warmth of her breath tingled on Pipers skin and she could smell the white wine on her breath.
"I would not miss this for the world."
Their gazes met and Piper felt her breath catch in her throat, she had never felt this kind of connection with anyone before, even Larry. Their moment was rudely interrupted by Nicky violently slamming down a bottle of beer on the bar causing it to foam over the rim like a volcano. "Sorry." Her blasé apology was accompanied with a cheeky smile. "I finish soon; I will come join you lovely ladies."
Alex tugged on Pipers arm and lead her to an empty table. Piper was feeling a little disappointed that she would not be alone with Alex this evening but willing she followed the raven haired woman siting down opposite to her; she soaked in the beauty of Alex noticing that she was still wearing the same outfit as earlier. Maybe Piper was making too bigger deal about all of this.
"How was the rest of your day Piper? Did Larry's moods improve?" Alex gave Piper a knowing smile, her eyebrow arching in mischief.
"Hell, thanks to you!" Piper picked up her cocktail, initially wincing as the salt on the rim of her glass before the cool liquid trickled over her lips.
"I won't say sorry." Alex was very forth coming with her statement her untroubled attitude actually attracted Piper more than repelled her.
A silence fell over the two of them as they both slowly sipped their drinks. "So what do you do then Piper Chapman?"
"I run a business with my best friend."
"What kind of business?"
"We run a shop called POPI that sells homemade cosmetics."
"Sounds like a brand of popcorn." Alex smirked to herself as she looked at Piper who didn't seem to find her joke funny. Alex knew she was going to have to make sure no offence was taken by such an off handed comment. "I actually know the shop, it's near my apartment."
"Really? Have you been in?" Piper immediately perked up, Alex hated to disappoint her.
"No, whenever I have walked past there is a despondent looking woman rearranging a basket of soaps. If I had seen a hot blonde I would have been in their like a shot."
Piper's cheeks flushed at the compliment, her head dropping in an attempt to regain composure and to hide her blushes. She could not understand why this woman had such an effect on her. Piper knew she needed to gain some control of herself and the conversation.
"Well make sure you come in next time."
Alex nodded and smiled enjoying seeing Piper getting slightly flustered at the complements given to her. However Alex didn't get to give any more compliments to Piper as Nicky came over to join them, a bottle of tequila in one hand and three shot glasses in the other. She placed them down on the table in front of Alex and Piper before sitting on a chair next to Alex. She then started to pour the shots while talking excitedly.
"Let's get this party started with a game of 'I have never', I went to a job seminar once and they did this as an ice break, no booze and I got kicked out after five minutes but it was fun!"
Once all three glasses were full Nicky turned to Piper with a wide smile, her tongue hanging out slightly to the right. "Ladies first."
"Oh-erm-" Hey eyes locked with Alex's and a small smile crept across her face. "I have never slept with anyone on the first date."
Neither Piper or Alex moved, Nicky however had thrown the drink down her throat before realizing she was the only one. "Fuck off Vause. I don't believe that!"
Alex simply shrugged a gleam in her eyes that Piper was enthralled by, Nicky however still seemed agitated.
"Fine I will get you drinking. I have never had a tattoo."
Alex and Piper both took their first shot, Alex raised an eyebrow at Piper, and she really didn't seem the type to have a tattoo. Piper seemed to guess what she was thinking and responded by spinning around in her chair and lifting her hair to reveal a small tropical fish on the back of her neck. "I showed mine now you show me yours."
Alex rolled up her sleeve on her jumper to reveal a tribal tattoo wrapped around her lower arm.
"You will have to get me much drunker to display the others."
"Sounds like a challenge." Piper giggled as she refilled hers and Alex's shot glasses. "Your turn Al."
"I have never slept with a guy." Although it was obvious that Piper would drink Alex was more surprised by Nicky downing her shot. Alex's mouth hung open over dramatically as she looked aghast at Nicky.
"What? I was young and drunk!"
The three of them laughed, Piper was already starting to feel at ease with both these women, maybe it was the alcohol running through her system but Piper could feel her confidence grow with every second. She knew now that it was her turn again to ask a question she was going to pick on something that Alex had mentioned at lunch time that had made her curious to find out more about this mysterious woman.
"My turn, I have never been to Prison."
Alex and Nicky both picked up their glasses before turning to one another and tapped their shot glasses together before downing them in one. All this had confirmed to Piper that Alex's original statement was true but it created thousands more that she needed to find out the answers too.
"Wait; were you two in prison together?"
Alex nodded her head as Nicky started too filled up the shot glasses once more. Frustratingly for Piper they did not expand any more. Her mind started to race of ideas as to why these two had been in prison together, it went from them being bunk mates to them being high school friends that came on hard times and ended up robbing a bank! She knew her imagination was running wild but in her clean cut life the most exciting law breaking event that had ever took place was when she didn't get buy a ticket in a pay and display car park.
"What where you in there for?" Piper leaned forward towards Alex, her eyes where wide and had a expectant smile on her face. The problem was her 'cute face' that worked all the time on Larry didn't seem to be working on Alex and she simply shook her head.
"First rule of prison is that you don't talk about prison!"
With a little frustrated huff Piper leaned back on her chair in the booth as they continued on with their drinking game. Their statements slowly got more ridiculous from eating worms, cheating in exams and even public displays of nudity. Throughout the game Piper could not stop looking at Alex, when she smiled Piper smiled, and whenever their eyes made contact over the table she could feel her heart rate increase. She just wanted to reach out and touch Alex, make sure she was someone real and not just a figment of her imagination.
"I have never – "
But they never got to find out what Nicky's next statement was (despite the fact they were running out of things she had never done!) as Pipers phone buzzed into life on the table causing the gaze of all three women to focus upon it. To Nicky the name that flashed on the screen meant nothing but Alex knew just as well as Piper that the fact Larry was contacting her could well mean their fun was about to come to an abrupt end. Picking up her phone with a small apology to Alex and Nicky Piper tapped the message filling the whole screen with his words.
Larry – Where are you? Polly just called asking for you. X
Piper found this statement weird; Polly never called the flat phone, always opting to go directly to her cell. To Piper it seemed Larry was fishing.
Piper – I am out with an old college friend on a fly by visit. We are just getting a quick drink. I will be home soon. x
The lie had tapped it's self out onto the phone screen before Piper knew what she was doing. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe the thrill of doing something wrong was too over powering but Piper knew she could not focus much more on the idle banter between Alex and Nicky. Her pone buzzed again in quick reply, clearly Larry wanted answers now.
Larry – Who is it?
There was no kiss at the end of the message, just three accusing words that cut through Piper like a knife; did he have that little faith in her? But then she was lying to him about meeting a women in a bar who she found incredibly attractive! Clearly this change in attitude had not gone unmissed as when she looking up from her phone she noticed Alex's brow was pinches into a frown.
"Everything alright Pipes?"
The use of a nickname caught her off guard, she had known this woman for just twelve hours and there was a comfortable familiarity between them. Piper was about to respond and dismiss her concern when her phone vibrated once more with another message.
Larry – Come home now please.
"I have to go." Piper's voice was low and emotionless as she reminded focused on the now black screen of her cell phone. There was disgruntled noise from Nicky but not Alex who, frustratingly for Piper, was being extremely supportive.
"Of course, let me come with you to get a taxi."
"What!? Stretch you are not flaking out on me too?"
"I will be back Nicky, I am the reason Piper is in this predicament so I want to help her."
Guilty looking to Nicky Piper stood up, her head spinning by the sudden change of position caused by the lethal number of shots she had taken during their game. She stumbled backwards a fraction and immediately felt a steadying hand take hold of her. It may have kept her world from spinning but not her heart from racing. With a meek smile at Alex in thanks Piper let her lead the way into the November night.
"I have had a great evening Alex, I want to hang out with you again."
Alex hailed an oncoming taxi as she listened to a tipsy Piper ramble on.
"Like hang out as friends as I have a Larry."
"You do have a Larry." Alex laughed as a yellow cab pulled up to the curb beside them. "Of course you can 'hang' with me as you so eloquently put it, just promise me one thing."
Alex stepped closer to Piper causing the blonde to take a deep breath. As Alex's supportive arms pulled her into a tight embrace Piper could feel the warmth of Alex breath on her neck as her tempting lips grazed her ear as Alex's low voice whispered.
"Just don't fall recklessly, heedlessly in love with me."
Piper was about to state once more that she had a Larry when all chance of protest was cut off by Alex's lips meeting hers. Her initial shock and resistance quickly faded and Piper found herself enjoying the kiss, delving deeper, her tongue slid past Alex's as their bodies pressed up against one another. It was only Pipers phone going off in her pocket that forced them to break apart. With shaking hands Piper pulled the phone from her pocket and accepted the call.
"Larry, yes I am getting in a cab now."
With one last fleeting look at Alex Piper got into the back of the taxi cab, closing the door behind her. Although Larry was yapping away at her, all she could think of was Alex.
A/N: Thank you very much to everyone who has alerts, favorites and reviewed. I love hearing from you all and it really gives me the motivation to carry on writing. Big shout out to RJVause who has helped me out defeating that pesky mental block!