Leaning against the circular bar counter, Alex and Nicky are both sipping their drinks and looking over the crowd as the hostess on the small stage at the one end of the venue playfully models her fish net stockings, red heels, tailored jacket and top hat, the applause from the crowd tones down as she starts to speak.
"Welcome, ladies, to our first burlesque party of the year. We have a gorgeous line-up in store for you tonight!" The crowd seems very pleased with this announcement. "We would hate to keep you waiting so let's get on with the show; first up, we have the delectable Desiree!"
Enthusiastic cheering and clapping welcomes the curvaceous brunette onto the stage while the intro to her number starts to rumble over the massive speakers. She is good, she has rhythm and interacts well with the crowd but Alex finds herself looking to the left of the stage instead, to the tiny parting in the dark fabric that is draped to cover the entrance to the dressing area searching for the sweet blonde with the gorgeous blue eyes until she realises it. "What the hell are you doing, Alex" she reprimands herself "straight girls are always trouble".
"She turns around to face the bar and stops just as she was about to offer Nicky another drink so as not to interrupt her friend's conversation with a slightly younger girl in a white, button-up shirt, the collar of which is flipped up. Their heads are close together and from the half-shocked-yet-amused expression on the younger girl's face where it is framed by Nicky's shoulder, Nicky seems to be doing one of her usual numbers which, surprisingly, usually ends with her not leaving alone.
Despite many other girls waiting for service, the bar lady is patiently staring at Alex who mouths the words "Jack Daniels" to her, the trumpet solo blaring through the speakers makes shouting seem futile. The bar lady nods and goes about her drink pouring duties. Several pairs of eyes have made their way up and down Alex's tall frame by now but she has not been paying much attention to any of the other partygoers. The drink appears on the counter and Alex returns her focus to the stage where the brunette finishes her number and takes a bow - she throws her curly locks back over her shoulder with some dramatic flair and without bothering to cover her now-naked breasts she makes her way off the stage and slips back into the muted light beyond the drapes.
Finger snaps can be heard over the speakers, the familiar start to "Why don't you do right?" Applause erupts suddenly as first a leg, punctuated by a bright red stiletto heel, and then the rest of a sequin-clad body appears from the parting in the draped fabric. Even Nicky and her popped-collar-companion abandon their conversation and start cheering as a blonde woman makes her way onto the stage with remarkable ease for someone in such high heels.
She moves beautifully, almost as if she is wearing the music. The crowd is enthralled, the cheering is deafening and instead of the startled, wide-eyed girl who could not get her outfit on properly without some help, there is something hypnotically sensual and purposely provocative in way she moves on stage. Her hips are tilted and she arches her back, throwing her head back slightly when her blue eyes finally find the green pair that she has been searching the audience for, she does not break eye contact. A little smile creeps over her face and for a moment, albeit a fleeting one, Alex Vause is really not sure what on earth to do with herself.
"I didn't know you were in town!" – the voice is too familiar and the timing as bad as ever./p
"Next time I will be sure to send you my itinerary."/p
"Oh come on Alex, saying hello won't kill you. I can't wait to update you on everything that is going on in my life!"/p
"I think that you are overestimating my interest in the subject, Sylvie, I'm not doing that lesbian thing with you where we are all friendly again after you screw me around…" "Shouldn't you go and look for Danielle?"
"She went for a cigarette, she will be back any minute, I'm sure she would love to see you!"
Alex tries to keep the look of disbelief off her face but she clearly fails as Sylvie shakes her head and says: "It really would be nice if you could just get over it and have a conversation, Alex."
"What don't you get, Sylvie?! I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to see Danielle and it isn't because I'm not over it, I just don't like either of you."
From the smoking section Nicky could see the annoyed look on Alex's face at the bar from a mile away and in combination with Sylvie's expression as she stormed past her to grab her girlfriend by the arm and drag her into the nearest waiting cab, it was clear that the two had bumped into each other. She never liked Sylvie. The feeling was mutual. It looked like Alex took this round like most of the others since Sylvie betrayed her. Nicky always enjoyed the heated exchanges between Alex and Sylvie so she was sorry that she had missed this one.
"How about a shooter, then?" Nicky says as she hops onto a bar stool at the cocktail table just to the left of the bar where Alex has now taken a seat.
Alex sees the popped-collar making her way back through the crowd and right behind her is Piper.
"Definitely! My round!" She jumps up and darts over to the bar without another word.
Nicky shrugs off Alex's puzzling behaviour and attributes the uncharacteristic enthusiasm to a rush of adrenalin after the encounter with Sylvie. "This is Piper – the sudden shouting near her ear to be audible over the loud music makes her flinch but she puts out her hand and says "Hi, I'm Nicky!" to the blonde who was pulling a bar stool closer to the high table, hoping that she could lip read over the noise.
"Mandy and I went to school together!" The blonde shouts indicating in the direction of the girl that Nicky had been working on taking home.
"Small world!" Nicky shouts back, grateful to see a tray with four Jagerbombs appear on the table. Awkward conversation with gorgeous strangers is nothing new to her but the choice between these two girls, not to mention the possibility of playing for both at once is just too tricky.
It is only when Nicky sees the smile on Piper's face when she looks up and recognises Alex that she knows that she had no chance with the blonde to start with.
The burlesque show has drawn to a close. The hostess announces the best dressed partygoer and hands over the prize. The DJ takes over and the music sets the scene for the rest of the evening.
"Dance with me!"
Alex looks surprised for a second - then she grins and gets up off her chair. She lets the blonde lead her onto the dance floor and the second they face each other, it looks like they have been in each other's space for years. They move easily together, just far enough not to touch and just close enough to make everyone around them stare a little longer than they should.
Piper's back is to Alex as the song finishes and when she reaches over her shoulder and guides the taller woman's mouth to her own, her head turned sideways, a question mark, then an exclamation mark and then a fireworks display fills Alex's mind.
The next song starts and Alex twirls Piper around, it just looks like a slick start to the next song's dancing but the stakes have been raised a little now. The dancing is hotter, the space between them forgotten and while Alex wonders whether Larry is real, Piper is not sure how to make sense of how easy it feels to be right there, in that moment with this enigmatic woman. Her thoughts evaporated into the music along with every reflex to fight whatever this is.
One song seems to melt into the other and by the time that they notice the dance floor starting to clear, Nicky comes by with Mandy to check if Alex wants a lift home. Alex declines. She would take a cab back to her place. It is time to call it a night and they make their way outside a couple of cabs are still waiting nearby. "So is Larry is waiting for you?"
"Larry is really my ex, so no, he is not waiting for me. I drove here from Llundudno, my car is in the basement parking."
Alex jumps at the opportunity.
"That's not a great drive to do at night and you've had some drinks. Come and stay over at my place, it is a couple of blocks from here, you can come and fetch your car in the morning."
It didn't take much convincing – they get into one of the waiting cabs and are on their way back to Alex's apartment within seconds.