A/N: Special thanks to Izzielg for the encouragement to continue at every chapter! It's so hard writing this without feedback, so I appreciate those of you who do review. There are also a lot of people rooting for Nicky to usurp Vauseman, which has surprised me. I am not writing Alex very sympathetically, which is probably because I chose to write this only from Piper's perspective. This chapter is pretty dark and contains some stuff that might be difficult to read for some of you so TRIGGER WARNING if that is the case. It's a long one, but I wanted to get it done in one sitting. Let me know what you think and hope you enjoy the way it is progressing. Thanks :-)
The next morning, Piper got a text from Steve saying he was travelling with 3 other Doctors to the conference event and they were booked into a hotel near the venue for a couple of nights. The conference was on Friday, but they were all up for a night out afterwards if Piper wanted to join them. She texted back to say she was looking forward to it and to let her know where they were going closer to the time.
She got into the store and hung her coat up before shouting good morning to Polly and finding her on her hands and knees wiping up a spillage on the shop floor. "This body lotion is sure bringing out the shine on this floor, maybe we should change a few labels and see if we can sell it as floor cleaner as well. Who doesn't love a Pumpkin Spice smell on their wooden floors?"
"Erm, I think it might become a slip hazard there. The shine would suggest 'danger, slippy surface' to me. Do you think we need a warning sign? What if someone has an accident and we get sued?"
"Gee Piper, you're such a killjoy. When did you get so worried about risks?"
"Ooh,I don't know.. Maybe it was that time I moved drug money across international borders because someone I trusted told me not to worry about it and to live a little. Then I spent a year of my life in prison, not fucking living at all?" Piper said with a raised eyebrow. "Just guessing though." She smiled to soften the gravity of the statement a little.
"You know Pipes, I knew Alex being around you was going to be a bad thing. I think you should try and steer clear of her and carry on with your life as though she didn't exist – like you were managing to do just fine until recently. Why don't you go out with Nicky again? She seemed to cheer you up and you two get on well, maybe she is just what you need. She is gay right?"
"Pol, what is your obsession with labels? I don't ask you if Pete is straight do I? No, because it doesn't matter. If you like someone, you like them. Yes, I do like Nicky. I like her a lot. There isn't this animal attraction between us though you know. Like, I don't want to kiss her every time I see her."
"Piper, you can't compare everyone to what you had with Alex. You might have had that kind of attraction with her, but look where you two ended up? It was toxic for both of you. Maybe you should be looking for the freaking opposite you know?"
"And what is the opposite exactly?"
"I don't know. You're the one who keeps saying you keep your options open for who you are attracted to. Surely you should have twice the market if you're 'open minded' as you like to call it?"
"Hmm, maybe you're right. It's not easy going out to meet people when your best friend is all loved up at home watching romcoms with her Aussie boyfriend every weekend though." Piper narrowed her eyes sarcastically at Polly.
Piper told Polly about Steve coming up for the weekend for a conference tomorrow.
"Remind me who Steve is again? Is he the tall guy with short black hair and a year-round tan that hung around your Grandmother's place?"
"Yes, that's him. Well, he's a Doctor now. Well, he's training-"
"Oh my God, he's fit AND he's a Doctor too?! You've got to show me what he looks like!"
Piper flicked through her mobile for the photos they took at the lake the other week. "Here, this is us at the lake recently."
"Aww, you guys are so cute together! Please tell me you already climbed him like a tree?"
"What? Ew, no! Polly, he's like a brother. I've known him since we were kids. He's seen me naked more times than any man except my Father. God that sounds weird."
"Then there's all the more reason to do it again. Take tomorrow off and get yourself pampered if you're going out with him. Get back on the horse Chapman and work off some of that sexual frustration you're carrying around. You're like a coiled spring." Polly laughed as she went to help a customer at the front of the store.
The thought of having a day off for pampering was too good to refuse though, despite not agreeing with Polly's reasons for doing it. She got on the phone to book some appointments for tomorrow with a spa so she could read in between sessions and lounge in a robe all day. She was already excited about it.
Xxxxxx
The next morning, Piper skipped her run in favour of using the gym at the spa first thing. Her first appointment to get her nails done wasn't until mid morning, so she had time to use the gym and shower quickly before that.
She packed her gym kit and a battered copy of Captain Corelli's Mandolin as her activities for the day and set off. It was pure bliss to be able to work out, relax and see her work-worn nails transformed into sleek red talons. After a light lunch, she headed into a full body massage and settled on the massage table face down. The lights were low, with scented candles and ambient music playing in the background to add to the feeling of relaxation. The young woman who was doing the massage explained what she would be doing and asked if there were any areas that Piper would like her to pay particular attention to. Piper could think of a couple of areas that the she'd like the attractive young woman to pay some attention to, but they wouldn't be using the massage techniques she would have learned at College. So she circled her back and shoulders on the form and settled down.
The feeling or someone's warm hands running over her body where she could close her eyes and concentrate on feeling the skin on skin contact was divine. The Masseuse used a little oil as she ran her palms up and down Piper's arms, pushing the toxins out of her muscles and relaxing each set of muscles as she went. She didn't make any small talk, just let Piper truly relax into the massage. When she started on her back, she ran her fingers firmly up the sides of Piper's torso and back down her back to the base of her spine. Piper was surprised at how good the human contact was and she felt her eyes prick with the threat of tears as she remembered how she had yearned for it when she was in prison. She felt pathetic that she was now free from prison and still missing this kind of intimate contact from anyone until she was paying for it like this. It had been far too long since she'd had anything more meaningful than a one night stand and she was embarrassed that the masseuse working on massaging up her thighs was causing her to feel aroused.
Fortunately the towel around her on the massage table prevented the Masseuse from noticing and she was able to thank her and leave, taking her small pool of desire with her. She took a swim in the pool to cool down before reading for a while and finally getting her hair cut and styled before leaving for home.
She got home at 5pm and made some dinner while she listened to some pop music she could sing along to. Steve sent her a text to say they were just out for a boring dinner with the conference attendees at the moment and he'd let her know as soon as they could escape. She called Polly to thank her for letting her take the day off and see how bus the store was today, then texted Nicky to say she had the green light for the South Africa shipment and her parrot.
Since she didn't know what kind of place they were going to, it was difficult to decide what to wear tonight. She decided a short red dress would match her nails perfectly so draped it over her bed as she found a pair of red and black heels in the bottom of her wardrobe. She could put her long black wool coat over the top in case they were going to be outside in a nightclub queue later that night. The red dress was shoulder-less on one side and was well fitted to her body all the way down to where it ended at mid-thigh. Her hair had been curled loosely, framing her face and she spritzed a little hairspray over it to hold it in pace before applying some make up.
Steve texted to say they were on their way out of the restaurant when they paid the bill and did she know a place with some decent bars and clubs they could head to and meet. The only place she really knew was the stretch around Sandy's bar, so she replied to say she would meet them in The Persian Lounge at 8pm. She dabbed a little Chanel Mademoiselle along her pulse points and finished off her make up before heading out for a cab to the bar.
Piper arrived outside the bar just as Steve and his friends were getting out of a cab. She walked up behind him and put her hands over his eyes as he turned from paying the cab driver. "Hey, my wallet is in my back pocket, you can take it… I'm only a poor country boy though, so you might want to give it back when you've opened it." He grinned as she let him go and he gave her a big hug, picking her up off the floor. "Hey you. Don't worry I'll protect you in the mean city streets country boy." She winked at him and kissed his cheek.
"These are my friends from work. Piper this is Cindy, just transferred to Boston from Chicago a few months ago." Steve gestured toward a short brunette woman who was about the same age as them. She looked pretty bookish wearing a fairly casual pair of jeans and a v neck sweater. Cindy held her hand out to shake and smiled quickly. "This is John, we worked under the same supervisor last year and endured Hell with him didn't we mate?" Steve slapped him on the back and John also held his hand out for Piper "A pleasure to meet you Piper." He seemed a good 8 or 9 years old than them and was dressed in a suit jacket and jeans, more like he was expecting to be drinking in a coffee shop than a bar tonight. "Then there's Darryl here, my best buddy at the hospital from the first day when we were fighting over the last parking space, making us both late for our induction." Steve laughed and Darryl smiled broadly at Piper "He always forgets to mention that I won the parking space in the end and he parked illegally and got a ticket. Nice to finally meet you Piper, Steve has been talking about you for so long I was starting to think he had made you up. Now I see you with my own eyes, I think he downplayed how hot you are." He winked at her and smiled at Steve as he blushed. Darryl was over 6ft tall with ebony skin and was built like a football player.
Piper suggested they go inside before they catch a cold on the kerbside and they walked to the door with Steve putting his arm around Piper's shoulders. John picked up the first round of drinks and they found a table away from the bar where they could talk. It was clear that they had already been drinking with their meal earlier, so they were bubbly and the conversation was loud. A lot of it was going above Piper's head as they talked about work or the conference a lot and Steve caught her eye a few times, smiling an apology at the hospital talk. He asked Piper to go with him to get the next round, so she could get a rest from the cardiac bypasses and arterial shunts.
"It's really good to see you and you look amazing. I wanted to tell you earlier, but I'd never hear the end of it from Darryl. You aren't bored with all the work talk are you? I guess we get a little self-absorbed in work since we spend so much time at the hospital, the conversations always seem to come back to it no matter how hard we try. I promise I will dump them if you give me a signal though." He smiled and nudged Piper's shoulder.
They brought a round of tequila shots back to the table and downed them quickly before asking where to next. Piper suggested Sandy's as she knew it was close by and had a good atmosphere on a Friday night. They walked outside into the cold night air as a rowdy group of students pushed past them towards the door. Steve reached out and took Piper's hand to keep her close. She felt safe with him and squeezed his hand before he interlinked their fingers. They walked like that and dropped back from the rest of the group a little as they made their way down the block to Sandy's. Piper thought it would have been nicer if Steve's friends weren't out with them tonight and they didn't have to make small talk with them. She was normally a sociable person, but it was clear from the beginning of the night that she didn't have a lot in common with these people other than rich parents and a good education. It wasn't who she was anymore and being with them brought back all the feelings of pretence and keeping up appearances that she has spent so long trying to shake free from.
They got into Sandy's and Piper ordered a margarita. It might make the conversation more bearable. She didn't want Steve to dump his friends and be teased about it, so resolved to make the best of the night as a group. They were huddled in a group near the doorway, being jostled as people pushed past them to get in and out of the bar. She finished her drink and said she was heading to the dancefloor for a bit as the conversation turned to medical degrees being cheapened by more poor people being allowed on them. Steve sensed her boredom and went with her to dance for a while.
There were some old 90's dance tunes on and they laughed at memories and dance routines that were popular when these songs were out. Steve twirled Piper around and joined in with the routines she was teaching him. When the songs got a bit slower, Steve asked if she wanted to go back to the bar, not wanting to be faced with either suggesting a slow dance together or appearing 'stiff' if he didn't. Piper took his hand and said she would rather dance with him for a while. She put her hand on his shoulder and rested her head against his chest as they moved slowly with the other bodies on the dancefloor. He put his arms around her waist and moved his hand to stroke her hair against his chest after a while. Both of them were very relaxed in each other's embrace.
After a while, the tempo of the songs picked up again and Steve said they should get some more drinks before they became too sober. They headed back to the group to get their orders and Steve said he was heading to the restroom. Cindy and John went outside for a smoke, leaving Piper talking to Darryl.
"He really likes you Piper. I've never seen him look at another girl like he looks at you tonight. It's a bit pathetic really that he doesn't have the balls to do anything about it."
"Darryl, we are really old friends and it's not like that between us. It never has been. Steve and I have been close for a long time, so it isn't a boyfriend / girlfriend thing between us."
"I didn't figure you were the type to be waiting around for Prince Charming somehow. I bet you prefer to be pursued by a tall dark stranger who will literally charm the pants off you…Am I close?" He smiled and raised his eyebrows as he waited for an answer.
Piper laughed because that described her first encounter with Alex perfectly. "Yeah, maybe I will put that on my online dating profile as a 'would like to meet'."
Steve came back and said he'd get the next round in if they gave him a hand at the bar. The three of them walked over to the bar and Darryl stood behind Piper and put his hand on her waist, leaning to her ear to whisper "Baby, you don't need to update your profile if that's all you need. I'm ready when you are to have some fun. I'm all in for a 'no strings attached' arrangement if you want to let off some steam."
Piper moved his hand from her waist and turned quickly. "No thanks."
Their drinks arrived and she downed her margarita before telling Steve she was going to the restroom for a moment. She pushed her way through the crowd of people and made her way to the queue for the toilets. She couldn't believe the audacity of Darryl treating her like she was suddenly a potential hook up after he had dismissed Steve as a competitor. What a douchebag.
She washed her hands and applied her make up again before leaving the restroom. As she came out of the doorway, Darryl was waiting for her.
"Look I hope I didn't come on too strong earlier. I've had a bit to drink, but I think you're a really beautiful woman and I just thought I would take a chance in case I never get the chance to see you again. You can't blame a guy for trying right?"
"You were out of line earlier. No woman wants to be treated like a piece of meat and that's exactly how you made me feel."
"I'm sorry OK, that wasn't my intention. Can I get you another margarita to make it up to you?"
"OK and maybe you should get some better pick up lines in future." Piper gave him a weak smile, clearly just wanting the conversation to be over. Darryl headed to the bar and Piper followed him, looking around for Steve or the others. She couldn't see them around the bar area anywhere or in the pool room at the back.
Darryl handed her the drink. "Here's to learning lessons." He raised his bottle in toast. Piper clinked his beer before taking a gulp of her margarita. "Where's Steve gone? Are Cindy and John still outside?"
"Wow, they've been gone a while. Steve went out to find them earlier and I guess he's not back yet. Maybe we should head outside and see if we can find them." Piper agreed that was a good idea. She didn't want to be left on her own with Darryl for any longer than she had to be and she was feeling quite drunk now.
Darryl led her outside and started guiding her towards the back of the bar with his hand on the small of her back. "Darryl, please take your hand off me. I can walk just fine thanks."
He moved his hand so it was firmly around her waist now as he continued to walk her around the corner into what appeared to be a very dark alley. "They were around here having a sneaky joint earlier…"
"Darryl, GET OFF ME NOW! Do not touch me. I'm not comfortable being out here in the dark and I'd rather go back inside now." She turned to head back and Darryl grabber her wrist, pulling her deeper into the darkness.
She threw her drink in his face and dropped the glass so she could slap his face hard with her free hand. "GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU BASTARD! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"
Darryl put one hand over her mouth and another around her throat and pushed her roughly against the wall as her hands tried to pull his fingers away from her. "Listen here you fucking cock tease. Women like you don't come out wearing short skirts and whore nails if they don't want to be fucked. You need a real man to give you what you want and treat you like the whore you are. If you scream out I'm going to fucking ruin that cunt of yours while you're unconscious and bleeding on the floor if I have to."
He hiked her dress up around her waist while holding his other hand over her mouth. Piper bit his fingers hard and torn into the flesh as he cried out. She kicked him once in the shins and again in the balls as she wildly tried to struggle free. He lifted his arm and beat down on the side of her face repeatedly until she blacked out.