Thanks once again to everyone who's left a comment, or to anyone who's following the story! Slight apologies for the abrupt end to this one, I just liked the way it ended, and I'll probably be picking up the next chapter where this one left off, if you catch my meaning.
As ever, I'd love to know what you think of this chapter, so please leave a review if you have five minutes and thanks so much for reading!
After that interaction with Alex, yoga night quickly becomes Piper's favourite night of the week. However, as her enjoyment in the classes increases, she finds herself telling Polly less about her own experiences in her recap of Wednesday evenings, and instead sharing more generic information. She's quick to tell Polly that Nicky and Lorna are on a break, or in the midst of a break-up, or something, but she mentions nothing of her own conversation with Alex, doesn't mention Alex at all.
Eventually, it becomes incredibly easy to fill her portion of the Thursday morning discussion with information about anything but herself, as the two groups gradually start interacting more frequently. The members of the yoga group finally infer via context that Flaca and Maritza had fallen out over a man, a tale as old as time itself. Flaca had thought he wasn't good enough for her best friend, Maritza had disagreed. The guy had still left Maritza to give birth to and care for their child by herself, and the friendship hadn't yet been repaired.
As time goes by, a few unlikely inter-group friendships even spring up, the most notable one between Poussey, who attends Piper's yoga class, and someone called Taystee, a girl from AA who'd shared a particularly entertaining story one week that had had everyone (even Jones, though she tried to hide it) laughing along with her.
It is these kinds of interactions that Piper fills Polly in on, and she speaks minimally about (to use Polly's words) 'the pervy ones who'd been ogling the yoga class', if she mentions them at all. Piper's not really sure what keeps her from mentioning the whole Alex thing to Polly, can't quite kid herself that it's all to do with Polly still not knowing that Piper's deal includes, but is thankfully not limited to, hot ex-addict lesbians, because yes, she does eventually find out that Alex is an ex-drug user, though that's still about all Piper knows.
It's also not only because she knows that Polly wouldn't approve of Alex even slightly, and probably wouldn't like her at all (though that is true). There's just something in keeping Alex as her own secret that appeals to Piper.
Plus, if she's honest with herself – something she seldom is – Piper still feels slightly out of her depth, and having Polly know that she's skirting the edge of something involving Alex Vause seems somehow very dangerous to Piper. Like Polly might step in – as best friend duty dictates – and make Piper realise just how real this is all becoming. Or worse, that Polly might turn up at yoga one Wednesday night to assess Alex for herself.
In fact, every night for a solid week, Piper actually has a recurring dream that goes a little like that.
In the end, it just comes naturally to Piper to keep Alex a secret. It feels somewhat safe, but still exciting enough that every Wednesday evening seems to go way too quickly, and the next one always takes too long to come around again.
That's not to say, however, that Alex and Piper's flirting is a secret from the rest of the people in hall, as bit by bit they stop bothering to hide their growing mutual attraction.
And, as their looks start to linger for longer, as the message behind their coy grins shifts from vague suggestion to direct promise (soon, Alex's eyes seem to say, soon. Just you wait and see), it seems that Alex participates in her AA meetings even less than she used to. Gradually, Piper starts to wonder if Alex spends more time with her back to whoever is speaking than she does actually facing forwards and pretending to listen.
Alex has really upped her game on the flirting front too, and she seems to enjoy doing her very best to rattle Piper as much as possible. Her compliments and remarks get more risqué as she goes on, and she starts neglecting to drop her voice half as much as she might have done in the beginning.
It's not that it bothers Piper of course – in fact the opposite is true – although it does rather throw her off balance (almost literally) when Alex catches her eye the next time Piper is in Downward-Facing Dog position. Alex watches for a second, looking, from Piper's perspective as she glances rather inelegantly from between her legs, to be the wrong way up. For a moment it seems as though Alex simply intends to stare back until, suddenly, she winks. Just once, slowly and maddeningly, before she very deliberately turns around to feign interest in whatever story it is that Suzanne is sharing that particular session.
One week, Alex rather loudly compliments Piper's underwear when her oversized work-out shirt slips off one shoulder as she attempts to hold herself in Half Moon pose, unintentionally revealing one lacy bra strap. During another session, Alex turns almost completely in her chair to watch Piper, one hip against the backrest, her legs jutting out from what should be one side of the chair. She doesn't do, or even say, anything, just watches Piper's progression through the class. Of course, Piper only sees Alex when she's in certain positions, or when she stops to get a drink of water, but she determinedly holds Alex's gaze every time, although it's often tempting to back down under the intense way that Alex looks at her.
Either Miss Rosa does not notice what the two of them are doing, or she does not care, but either way, she never tells Alex to stop.
And, during a session a few weeks after their first conversation, Piper nearly walks straight into Alex as she ducks out of yoga to head to the bathroom. Alex is late to the AA meeting, something Piper had already noted, but she offers no reason for her tardiness when they greet each other quietly.
After a moment in which they watch each other in tense, heavy silence, Piper goes to move around Alex.
"I better…bathroom," Piper mutters unhelpfully, unsure as to what exactly it is about Alex Vause that turns her into such an idiot, unable to even form complete sentences. For a second, she thinks Alex is going to pass her without saying anything more, but then Piper feels Alex's hand around her wrist, gripping just tightly enough to make Piper pause.
Alex presses her cheek flush against Piper's, and she can feel Alex's lips move as she murmurs,
"Your ass looks really good in those yoga pants, by the way," into Piper's ear, her breath hot against Piper's skin.
Piper just barely contains herself, walking on wordlessly, but she quite literally has to splash cold water on her face in the bathroom. However, her visit to the ladies' room also gives her time to regain her composure and to decide whether or not attempting some form of response would be a good idea.
A few moments later, on her way back to her mat, Piper bends down next Alex's seat, pretending to retie her shoelace. On her way back up to standing, she leans into the other woman and, dropping her voice to a whisper, replies,
"Yeah, I know."
Because of the way the developments between the two of them have been playing out, Piper can't quite bring herself to feel too disappointed when, one particularly cold and wintry evening, both Yoga Jones and Miss Rosa enter the hall together, looking rather harassed as they announce that Joe Caputo – the building manager – had just informed them that the AA's regular room still wasn't back to normal.
"It looks like we're stuck like this for the foreseeable future, ladies," Jones tells them as she sets up the CD player. She eyes both Lorna (who now spends her time in class looking determinedly anywhere but at Nicky), and then Flaca pointedly.
"So we'll just have to make the best of it."
The rest of the session passes rather unremarkably for Piper, who spends more time listening to one of Taystee's stories than she does really clearing her mind, and it seems Alex is as interested in the tale as she is, because Piper struggles to catch the other woman's eye much during the hour.
In fact, by the time the two groups start packing up, Piper is beginning to wonder if something's wrong. However, out of the corner of her eye, she notices Alex hesitate for moment after stacking her chair away. After a pause, Alex eventually approaches and says without preamble,
"So, it looks like I'm going to have to pay out, huh?"
Confused, Piper forgets her decision to play whatever coy game had been going on all evening, turning quickly to Alex and frowning. "I'm sorry?"
"Today's the first of the month and Heathcliff and Cathy over there are no closer to making up." Alex nods over at Lorna, stood a few feet away and throwing angry glances at Nicky, who had taken a relatively non-confrontational route that night (for her, anyway) and had been flashing Morello suggestive looks for the whole hour.
"So. I owe you a drink. Tomorrow night sound okay to you?" Alex holds out her phone, and Piper can see the 'new contact' page on the screen.
Piper smiles as she enters her details in Alex's phone. "Tomorrow night sounds perfect."
Piper spends the next day at work checking her phone, and is completely distracted when Polly tries to tell her that she's found a possible space for them.
"God, Pipe. What's wrong with you? You've been saying for ages we need a space to sell from if we're gonna get department stores to buy from us. I thought you'd be excited!"
Piper quickly drops her phone back onto the desk.
"I know, I know," she turns to face Polly and holds up her hands in a placating gesture. "I'm sorry Pol. I am excited." She rolls her eyes at Polly's sceptical expression. "Honestly. I'm just a bit out of it today, I'm a little tired I guess".
"Didn't know yoga was so exhausting," Polly teases, turning her attention back to her computer screen.
"We should go check it out. The space, that is. Want to set up a meeting?"
"Sure." Polly sounds happy enough at this, and if she's suspicious about Piper's behaviour, she doesn't say anything. She talks animatedly about the place she'd seen for most of the day, and about the possibility of them getting their bank loan, but Piper only hears half of what she says.
At just after 4:30, Polly stretches and wonders aloud if it would be totally terrible of them to duck out of work early, and when Piper only hums her approval, this seems to be the final straw.
"Okay, spill."
"Spill what?"
"Whatever's going on with you Piper! You've been totally distracted all day and I see you hiding your phone in your lap so you can check it."
Of course, Piper can hardly launch into an explanation on how she's beginning to wonder if she has made up all the flirting between her and Alex, or somehow hallucinated Alex entirely, so she does her best to play the whole thing down.
"It's nothing! I told you, I'm just tired."
"Right." Polly rises and stretches. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me. But if I find out you're secretly seeing some guy that you've not told me about I will not be responsible for my actions, okay?"
Piper smiles at this; it's more ironic that Polly could ever realise.
"No guys involved, I promise."
"Good. Now. I have to go to this family dinner thing my mom won't let me get out of tonight, so I gotta get ready. Feel free to hang around. Or not, totally your choice."
"And there I was thinking you were just keen for an evening off."
Polly rolls her eyes in an I wish sort of way, but doesn't seem put out when Piper tells her she's going to head off.
She's only just closed the door behind her when her phone finally, finally buzzes in her coat pocket. Sure enough, it's a text from Alex with a time, a place and a kiss at the end, which seems strangely un-Alex to Piper, who fires off a short reply to confirm she'll be there.
She's somehow less excited for this evening now, wondering if Alex is having second thoughts and is just going through the motions. It doesn't stop her from making sure her makeup looks perfect, or from changing her outfit twice before she leaves, but she does have an unpleasant weight in her stomach as she wonders just what Alex wants out of all this.
And it doesn't really help at all that Piper literally has no idea where she wants this thing with Alex to go, either.
The churning worry in Piper's stomach is quelled slightly to find that Alex is already at the bar when she gets there, a nearly-full beer in front of her.
Whether Alex has just arrived, or has been there long enough to be on her second drink, Piper can't be sure and she doesn't really care – she's just happy Alex is there at all.
And Alex seems just as pleased to see her, face alight with a smile that seems a little too bright for someone who'd rather be somewhere else, or was having second thoughts about the person in front of her.
Piper decides that maybe she'd be better off not over-thinking things tonight.
Alex is as good as her word when it comes to buying Piper a drink, but still questions Piper's choice when she orders.
"It's a little cold out for a margarita, don't you think?" she asks as they watch the bartender mix up the drink, but Piper just rolls her eyes, nudging Alex playfully with her shoulder.
"So, should I feel bad that I'm profiting out of someone else's relationship drama?"
"Probably," Alex replies with a smirk, paying for the drink and motioning at Piper to follow her towards a table in a corner of the bar. "It is kind of immoral when you think about it."
"Aren't you kinda missing the part where you suggested it?"
"I mean, sure but…Nicky's my friend, we know each other. You're just taking advantage of two strangers's sadness." Beneath her glasses, Alex's eyes are sparkling teasingly as she takes a pull from her beer.
Piper's voice catches unintentionally in her throat when, a moment later, she leans forward and replies with no real conviction, "I guess I do feel bad."
Alex smiles as she prompts her to go on. "There's totally a 'but' in there somewhere."
"But I guess it's all sorta worked out for me, right?"
They're both three drinks into the evening when Piper finally mentions what is still the source of a tiny, niggling bit of doubt at the back of her mind.
"I must say, I kind of thought you were having second thoughts about paying out," Piper jokes, tilting her glass slightly to indicate her point.
Alex raises her eyebrows at this, and when she speaks, she seems genuinely surprised. "Really? Why?"
Piper opens her mouth to reply and then closes it again, suddenly cursing herself for being tipsy enough to let her brain-to-mouth filter break down like that. It instantly seems petty and needy to complain about a late text when Alex is sitting there in front of her. In fact, Alex's expression is suddenly strikingly clear and honest as she reaches out and runs the tips of her fingers lightly against the back of Piper's hand where it rests on the table between them.
Alex leaves her hand over Piper's, gripping slightly at Piper's fingers, and flashes a tilted half-smile at Piper.
"Thought I was being clear enough during AA." The words come out quietly, barely loud enough for Piper to hear over the music in the bar.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to kill the mood. Just…pretend I didn't say that."
"The mood's just fine, honestly. But I'm serious, tell what's wrong." Alex's tone is gentle and she almost sounds slightly concerned.
"It's silly, I'm just being...This is all a bit new to me, if you hadn't already guessed," Piper speaks to their hands, finding it easier than meeting Alex's eyes.
"What, dating?" Alex jokes, and, in spite of herself, Piper glances up at this.
Alex is wearing strange expression on her face as something like amusement is replaced by surprise, almost as though she can't quite believe she's just called tonight 'dating'.
Taking a deep breath, Piper decides to be honest, steeling herself for her admission. "Well…no. Not dating a woman, at least."
The look of shock on Alex's face deepens slightly. "For real?"
Piper nods, worried, but then she hears Alex chuckle to herself.
"What?" she asks, confused by the quick change in mood.
Still grinning, Alex asks, "what kind of a lesbian are you?"
"The bisexual kind. I think, anyway," Piper shrugs and though she hadn't intended for it to make matters clearer, Alex nods as if it does.
"And tonight?"
"Like I said, it's silly. You just didn't text until late so I thought…"
Alex laughs again at this, a full, relieved kind of laugh and Piper suddenly feels completely at ease again.
"Work likes to keep me busy sometimes and I didn't know what time to tell you because I didn't know how long I'd have to stay this afternoon, that's all."
This seems like a perfectly logical explanation, and Piper quickly feels silly for worrying at all, but Alex seems completely unperturbed by the whole exchange.
She leans slightly closer to Piper, whispering, "but I'm sorry if I made it seem like I had any doubts."
After a silent pause that seems thick and hot, Alex flashes Piper a look, one that seems a little like a challenge, and it takes Piper's slightly hazy brain a few seconds to decipher it.
Perhaps this will help you change your mind.
And just like that, Alex kisses her.