Alex was the first to wake up, and Piper felt her new lover untangle herself from their current position. The brunette went to the bathroom, and then walked over to the window. She looked back at Piper, who was lazily blinking her eyes into wakefulness.
"The wind died down and it's just drizzling," the dark haired woman noted. Before she climbed back into bed, she tried turning on a lamp. "Hey, the power's back on!"
"That's a relief." She stretched, revealing her naked torso. "What time is it?"
Alex grinned at her exposed body. "Almost four."
"Wow, we slept for three hours." Piper sat up.
The brunette leaned in to kiss her on the lips, placing one hand on her cheek. "We were up kind of late last night."
Piper wrapped her hand around Alex's wrist and leaned into the brunette's touch. "I hate to even ask this question, but what time is your flight tomorrow?"
"I think 8:30 or 9 a.m." She dropped her hand. "What about you?"
The blonde shrugged. "I don't have a flight yet."
Alex sat up with what appeared to be an idea forming in her head. She took Piper's hand. "Let's stay an extra night. I'll change my ticket and cover your costs."
Piper blushed. "Thank you, Alex. I do want to stay with you, but I have to get back to work."
"You're a fucking waitress!" She chuckled.
She looked down, embarrassed by her profession.
"I didn't mean it like that," Alex sighed and brushed a piece of hair out of the blonde's face. "I have total respect for people in the service industry. What I meant was that you're not as accountable as if you worked in a corporate job or something."
"I get it," Piper said, looking up at her. "But my job is important to me. I've been working at the restaurant for four years."
"Tell them you were delayed because of a fucking hurricane," she explained with a shrug. "It's not a lie, and they have to understand that."
"True," Piper said. She didn't need much convincing to stay with Alex, but she liked listening to the other woman's reasoning.
She tilted her head and gave Piper a hopeful smile. "Say you'll stay."
It was then when she realized that Alex had a bad ass exterior and exuded confidence, but when it came down to it, she was like a vulnerable, loveable kid.
The blonde rubbed the inside of her lover's wrist. "I'll stay."
Alex got on her knees and kissed Piper until the blonde fell onto her back. They giggled as Piper bounced a few times on the soft mattress.
"I'll call American, and then I'll hand the phone to you," the dark haired woman said.
By seven o'clock in the evening, the couple had had copious amounts of sex in some positions that Piper didn't think were possible. She achieved an orgasm every single time Alex touched her center, either with her fingers or her mouth. Alex's body reacted the same way. It was as if their bodies were awakened after twenty-something years of slumber.
The women showered together, where the brunette got on her knees and gave Piper yet another heart-pumping orgasm. Just as she was about to go down on Alex, the taller woman stopped her with a hand on the chest. "Wait. Let's get clean, go out, and then come back for more."
"Ok," Piper acquiesced with a wide grin. "But it's my turn to do you when we get back."
"You will never hear me complain about it being my turn." She smirked. "Though I do love showing you how beautiful you are." She punctuated that last statement with a long, wet kiss.
"Are we getting out of here or not?" Piper began asking against her lover's lips. "Because I could be persuaded to stay."
She pushed back. "Yes. Out. Now."
The dark haired woman made a few calls while Piper put herself together more properly. (Alex had the bellman bring Piper's luggage to their room, and the blonde was thankful to have two outfits that she hadn't worn.)
While Alex was on the phone, Piper went down to the lobby to shoot a quick e-mail to Polly, letting her know her plans and new flight information. She also mentioned that Verizon cell service wasn't working, so it would be difficult to stay in touch.
When she returned to their room, Alex was dressed in what had to be an Anthropologie dress with images of peacock feathers on the bottom and a black, woven top. Her shiny hair was wavy, a thick part over each shoulder.
"I'm back." Piper retreated to the bathroom to try to give her hair some life. The humidity had done no favors to her limp locks, but she tried using her curling iron one more time.
"I'm taking you to a fabulous restaurant tonight," Alex said without preamble as she approached the blonde from behind. "I just called and they're open with limited seating and a special tasting menu."
Piper looked at the reflection of herself with Alex wrapped around her in the bathroom mirror and thought, Damn, we'd make a stunning couple. "Good, I'm famished again."
"I'm telling you: it's the sex."
Alex took her to Restaurant August, where they enjoyed a 12-course tasting menu, complete with wine pairings. They talked about their lives, asking each other questions throughout the three-hour ordeal. Piper learned that her lover's mother passed away a year ago, and the blonde confessed that she had a shitty relationship with her parents. They didn't talk much about their childhood, but Piper gleaned enough to know that her companion grew up poor and without a father.
Their conversation flowed effortlessly, and not once did Piper feel like she needed to fill the silence with superfluous words. In fact, there was no silence to fill. Just as the courses kept surfacing from the kitchen, words kept pouring from their mouths. They didn't interrupt each other or stumble over who should speak first like what happened in most young relationships; rather, they gave each other their undivided attention and jumped in when it was appropriate.
"I'm stuffed." Alex put her hand on her belly. "You?"
She pushed her dessert plate away. "I couldn't put another bite of food in my body."
The bill came, and Alex slid her credit card into the portfolio before Piper could get in a word. She held up her hand. "I told you I'd take care of the expenses of you staying an extra night. I meant it."
The blonde took her hand, bringing it to her lips. "Thank you, Alex."
The weather outside was actually lovely by 11 p.m. It had cooled down considerably, and the humidity wasn't nearly as bad as it had been days earlier. The hurricane had moved north, leaving quite a bit of debris in the streets, but all things considered, it wasn't a major weather event for the city of New Orleans.
The couple walked hand-in-hand down the street, and it felt completely natural—like they'd done this a thousand times. It struck the blonde so much, that she felt the need to verbalize it.
"Does this feel oddly familiar to you?"
Alex squeezed her hand. "Yeah, it does."
Piper didn't add anything further; she was content knowing that she wasn't alone in that feeling of normalcy.
Their walk took them down side streets, and despite the darkness, the women admired the old French & Spanish architecture in the city, each one pointing out a unique building.
By the time they made it back to the hotel, it was close to midnight. Alex still had two candles that the hotel had given her before the power outage, so she lit them and bathed the room in a soft glow.
Without saying a word, the women slowly undressed each other, lips following fingers on bare skin. Sex before that moment was all about passion and release, but this time was vastly different. It was more conscious. Neither woman rushed to get her partner off; rather, they spent hours just touching each other and familiarizing themselves with every beauty mark and scar that they could find.
Piper found one particular scar on the brunette's lower abdomen shaped in a V, like a child's drawing of a bird, and bathed it with her mouth. Listening to the little sounds that Alex made was enough to drive her insane, but she waited out the inevitable need for her own release in favor of showering her lover with warmth.
They drifted off to sleep, Piper's head on Alex's stomach, at around 3 a.m. and didn't wake up until late the next morning.
"Good morning, sleepy head," Alex greeted in a groggy voice.
Piper didn't lift her head, which was still on the dark haired woman's tummy. Instead, she rubbed Alex's naked right leg in long strokes. "Morning."
The brunette ran her fingertips through blonde hair. "It's 11 o'clock."
That caused Piper's head to jerk up. "Holy shit!" followed by, "Ow." Her sleeping position made for a sore neck and back.
Seeming to sense Piper's discomfort, Alex pulled her up and massaged her shoulders and neck. "That better?" She kissed the blonde on the shoulder.
"Mmm, yeah."
"I'll book us two massages today." She reached for the hotel phone and did exactly as promised. "They can take us in an hour. Sound good?"
Despite the pain, Piper craned her neck up to kiss her lover. "Sounds fantastic, thank you."
The women went to the restaurant in the lobby for a light breakfast, and then showered, changed and headed for their 90 minute couple's massage. Piper was so relaxed at one point that she fell asleep, and when she woke up a few minutes later, she saw Alex turn her head and smile. The dark haired woman reached for her hand, and they locked fingers for a moment before the masseuse turned them over.
After their second shower of the day, and Piper making good on a promise to go down on her lover in the tub, the women decided to take a river boat cruise on the Creole Queen. The weather was downright gorgeous, considering that a hurricane had passed through 24 hours earlier. One of the locals told them that it was pretty typical to have one or two nice days after such a big tropical system.
"I think I could live here," Alex said, arms wrapped around her lover at the bow of the boat as they passed under a high bridge.
Piper craned her neck to look at her. "Me, too. I never thought I'd want to leave New York, but this city is…"
"Enchanting," Alex offered with a tiny smile.
She returned the smile. "Yes, enchanting."
On their final night in New Orleans, Alex took Piper to The Sazerac Bar in The Roosevelt Hotel.
"I didn't think you'd remember that I wanted to come here." Piper looked around with wonder.
"It's one of the first things you told me." The brunette gave her a closed lip, sweet smile, and then put her hand at the small of Piper's back and led her to a table with a view of the Paul Ninas mural.
"What a beautiful place." Piper admired the African walnut bar, the historic art on the walls, and the classic New Orleans décor. "I didn't think it would be this…grand."
A server greeted them and took their drink orders. Although the blonde wanted desperately to like Sazeracs, she hated whiskey and opted for a French 75. Alex ordered a Sazerac, of course, and made her lover promise to taste this one, which would be made with Bourbon instead of rye whiskey.
"Did you know that New Orleans was once described as 'the cradle of civilized drinking'?" the blonde asked, still marveling at the regal bar.
"I didn't know that." Alex smiled as if tickled by the blonde's random knowledge.
"And the Sazerac is considered the world's first mixed drink," she added. "Lots of cocktails were invented in this city, like the Ramos Gin Fizz and the Hurricane. Peychaud's Bitters were also invented here. I can't say that I've had them, but still."
"You're just of fount of knowledge," the brunette commented around a laugh.
Piper lowered her head. "Sorry, when I get nervous or excited, I tend to rattle on."
"First, you're not rattling on, and second, I hope you're not nervous." She grabbed Piper's hand across the table.
"Definitely not nervous." She grinned. "Just excited."
"About what?" Alex caressed the back of her hand with the pad of her thumb.
"About being in this bar…" Piper tilted her head. "About being with you."
The cocktail server delivered their drinks, and both women raised their glasses for a toast.
"To unexpected circumstances," Piper offered, beating Alex to the punch.
"Cheers." She smiled, and then took a sip. "Wow, this is even better with Bourbon. Taste."
The blonde took a sip and didn't grimace this time. "Not bad, but still not something I'd order."
"You're missing out, kid."
They watched a three-piece jazz band play a Louis Armstrong song, and when the musicians took a break, Piper asked a question. "What's the most exotic place you've ever been?"
"Most exotic? Hmm…" The dark haired woman leaned back, tapping her chin with a finger. "Either Papeete in Tahiti or Maya Bay in Thailand."
"Those are certainly exotic." Piper said around a sip of her cocktail.
It was the brunette's turn to ask a question. "If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?"
"That's a difficult question; there are so many types of places," Piper began. "If it was a tropical destination, I'd probably say Tahiti. If it was a cultural experience, I'd choose Brussels or maybe Rome. If it was a culinary excursion, I'd go to Bologna."
Alex grinned. "You've spent some time thinking about this."
She shrugged. "Not really, but those locations just come to mind. I've traveled to Europe before, but I was young and stupid. I'd love to go back as an adult who can appreciate the finer things in life."
"You should come with me," Alex offered after a sip of her cocktail. "I'd buy you a plane ticket. We could travel all over the world."
Piper raised her eyebrows. "Seriously?"
"Why not?" The dark haired woman lifted her shoulders.
Why not, indeed, Piper thought. She willfully ignored the fact that her lover was in a drug cartel. Traveling around the world with Alex sounded like the most marvelous thing she could ever imagine.
"Maybe one day" the blonde replied with a Mona Lisa-like grin.
After a cup of gumbo and three cocktails, the women headed back for their last night together in New Orleans. Both of their flights were early the next morning, and Piper didn't know if she'd be able to sleep at all that night. Knowing herself, she'd want to spend every last moment awake in Alex's arms.
They only had sex once that night. The rest of the time, they kissed and talked about everything from Alex's drug-using days to Piper's big plans for Popi.
The blonde was right about not falling asleep—to be fair, she did manage to close her eyes for about an hour, but that could hardly be called, sleep.
The morning came all too soon, and the women were forced to separate from each other in order to get ready for the day. Piper struggled to get out of bed as she rested in her lover's arms, but once Alex pulled the trigger, it was easier for her to follow suit.
They didn't talk much that morning—neither seemed to be in a chipper mood at their impending goodbyes.
Before they left the hotel room, Alex took a deep breath and put her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "Thank you for staying with me."
Piper shook her head and gazed into her lover's eyes. "I don't want this to end."
"It doesn't have to." She kissed the blonde's forehead. "I was serious about buying you a plane ticket to meet me anywhere in the world. All you have to do is say the word."
She leaned forward, pressing her mouth softly against Alex's lips. "Ok."
They hugged each other tightly, and then proceeded to the lobby and ultimately to the airport.
Because they were both flying American Airlines, they were in the same terminal. Piper's flight was expected to depart 40 minutes prior to Alex's, so they waited at the blonde's gate together.
As the airline agent began boarding her set of rows, Piper stood. "I guess this is goodbye."
The dark haired woman stayed seated and reached for her hand. "Let's not think of it as goodbye. It's more of an, I'll inevitably see you soon."
"Inevitably?" Piper raised her eyebrows.
Alex grabbed her other hand and swung their joined hands between them. "For some reason that word seems right."
"It does." She smiled, and tugged the brunette to a standing position.
They were impossible close, hands held on either side of their legs, dangling down. Their chests were almost touching, and they stood there, staring at each other with a little bit of sorrow and a little bit of joy for having met.
Alex leaned down to place a chaste kiss on the blonde's lips. "I'll be in touch."
Piper kissed her with the same lightness. "Thank you, Alex. This was…"
"Magical?" she offered with a tender smile.
"Yeah, magical." Piper hugged her lover tightly, and then walked the ten steps to board the plane.
One thing she knew for absolute certain: this was only the beginning.
Author's Note: Yes, I know this story begs to be continued, but I hope you find that it ended on a sweet note. I don't know when or if I'll pick it up again. Depends on the level of interest and my available time. Thanks for reading and leaving comments!