(Piper's POV)
We laid together for what seemed like hours. I could lay like this forever and I was not looking forward to Alex leaving early in the morning. Abruptly, Alex sat up.
"I want to show you something babe. I think it's time for you to see it," Alex said, as she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
"Should I be scared of what this something is? It sounds scary," I replied back, getting up to follow Alex.
"Not scary at all. It's a good thing. The only other person who knows about it is my mom," replied Alex as she turned on the shower water, stripped down and got in.
I followed suit and got into the shower with Alex. Immediately, it was hands all over hands. I lathered up the shampoo and washed Alex's hair and she repeated the action on me. After our hair was properly cleaned, it was time to clean our bodies. At the same time, we washed each other. A mix of sexual tension that seemed to build - how this was possible with all of our sex, I'm not sure - and a touch of not wanting to let each other go.
"More of that for later. Let's go," Alex said and turned the shower water off. Poo...just when things were getting fun. We got out of the shower and went to the bedroom to get dressed.
"Alex?, I asked while going to the closet, do you mind that I wear your clothes when you are gone?"
"Do I mind? Of course not. I think it's rather sexy. Do you mind that I bring a pair of your panties in my suitcase when I travel," asked Alex, with a delivish grin.
"Alex! Are you serious?! Why would you do that? Are they clean at least?!" I asked back, as I turned to face her.
"Of course they are clean...you didn't think I was that much of a pervert did you? There is just something sexy about them. And, at the end of a long ass day, I like coming back to the room knowing a piece of you is waiting for me," Alex said back and kissed me on the cheek.
"I love you Alex," was all I had to say back. Once we were both dressed - Alex in a sexy flannel shirt, jeans & her signature Doc Marterns...me in a blue sweater, corduroys and New Balances - we headed out of the house.
"So...when are you going to tell me where we are going?" I asked Alex, as she held my hand and walked rather quickly.
"You will see soon enough...we are almost there," Alex said, still with that devilish grin on her face. Wherever we were going, it really made Alex happy. It was so nice to see Alex so happy and full of life. It reminded me even more so why I loved her so much.
We came to a stop outside of a bookstore called The Hub. About a 5 minute walk from the campus of Smith, I had been here a million times during my college days. It was an amazing bookstore with a very laid back, coffee shop vibe. It housed a small coffee house inside of it and was full of everything from textbooks to the classics.
"Ohh cool...its The Hub. I spent many college days here back in my day," I said to Alex, as she opened the door for me.
Walking in this time, however, felt different. I felt like I had been here before but, in a different sense of before. It felt oddly familiar. The dark furniture & fixtures, surrounded by the rows upon rows of books seemed to speak to me in a different manner. With her hand still in mine, Alex walked up to the coffee shop where the barista greeted her by name.
"Hey Vause, what's up? The usual for you today?" said the barista.
Alex replied back to the barista saying, "Hey Sarah. Two of the usuals please. This is my girlfriend Piper. Piper, this is my favorite barista Sarah."
"Hi Sarah - very nice to meet you. I'm sure you have seen me before...I'm a Smith alum," I said with a smile to Sarah. Sarah went to work and brought back over two pipping hot cups of tea. Alex paid her, took them both, and guided me towards an over-sized chair way in the back of the store, far out of the way of anyone.
As Alex handed me my tea & sat down I said out loud, "This place feels eerilly familiar. Like I was just here even though its been months since I was last here. I feel like I totally know this place like the back of my hand."
"Piper, you sorta do. I think it feels so familiar because it reminds you of my apartment," Alex said, with an odd look on her face.
"Oh my gosh! You are so right! It totally does feel like your apartment. How bizarre," I said as I took a sip of my tea. The hot water felt amazing going down & warming my bones.
"Don't you think its a little more than bizarre that this is so similar to my apartment?" Alex asked, quite puzzled.
"Well, no not really. Your apartment is lined with dark colors, dark chunky furniture and quite possibly as many books as The Hub. One of the many things that make you so sexy," I said to Alex and rested my legs over hers.
Alex pushed her glasses up on her head and said, "They are so similar because I own The Hub, Piper. When I started really making money working for Kubra, I knew I needed to invest it in ways that wouldn't be easy to track. My weed-smoking CPA, Doug Wilson, recommended owning some legit businesses as one of the ways. I purchased this, changed the name & redecorated and the rest is history."
Wow, I thought to myself. Why was Alex just telling me this now when we had been together for months already? I'm pretty sure The Hub had even come up in past conversation. And props to Alex for thinking that far ahead about her money. Alex was certainly not spender but I didn't realize she was an investor.
"I am telling you this because not only do I love you but, I trust you as well. No one - besides my mom - knows I own The Hub. Not even the employees. I need to keep it that way so, just in case something happens, I have something legit to fall back on," Alex said, searching my eyes for something.
Alex was telling me because she trusted me. Alex had confessed her love to me and was now also confessing her trust. I felt suddenly very emotional and could feel my eyes tearing up. Rather than speak - as I knew I would just start crying - I took Alex's face in my hands and kissed her...long and slow.
As I pulled away from the kiss I said, "Alex...you have just made me even happier than I ever thought possible. I love you babe."