Chapter 5
The afternoon wasn't as grueling as the morning—Alex showed her how to replace a fuse, fertilize a garden, repair a hole in a wall with plaster, and secure a sail that had blown sideways on a 31 foot Catalina Cruiser.
By 5 o'clock, Piper was undeniably beat.
"One more thing we have to do today—open up the Green's home." She pulled into the driveway of one of the houses towards the front of the street. "I'll show you what I usually do when families ask me to get their places ready. There's a little more to it if it's their first time down all season, like the Greens."
"I'm just glad you said 'only one more thing'." The blonde wiped her forehead with the hem of her shirt, yanking it high enough to expose her stomach. She caught Alex's gaze.
"Right. Yeah." The brunette cleared her throat and stepped out of the truck. "I'm going to open the windows upstairs, and you'll do the same downstairs."
She did as she was told, admiring the beautiful home's décor. She didn't know the Green family and hadn't really seen anyone outside of their home over the past few years.
Alex showed her how to turn on the hot water heater and then used a broom to clear cobwebs from the ceiling of several rooms. They walked around with paper towels to pick up any dead insects, which freaked Piper out, but by the fourth one, she'd gotten used to their little, decrepit bodies. Using the same broom, she asked Piper to sweep the sidewalk while she took care of the deck. They both placed floral-patterned cushions on the lawn furniture, and the brunette watered the hanging ferns. Before they left, Alex looked in the cabinets and refrigerator for any spoiled or stale food.
"I need to run to the store to get some staples for them," she said.
"Do you normally do that?" Piper followed her to the truck and grabbed a Vitamin Water from the cooler.
Alex reached for the bottle, so the blonde passed it to her as she watched Alex take a sip where her lips had just been. Piper swallowed hard.
"You spilled some…" She used two fingers to wipe the drop of liquid that was running down Alex's chin. Touching Alex sent shivers down her spine, and she wondered if the dark haired woman felt the same when she was touched.
"Thank you." Alex stared at the blonde for a moment longer than Piper expected, and then hopped back in the truck. "I buy groceries for the families who treat me well, and I don't ask them to repay me. Besides, the Greens have a sick daughter—leukemia, I think. The least I can do is get them something to eat when they arrive."
"That's very thoughtful of you." Piper touched her forearm around a tattoo, and Alex didn't pull away.
"Do you want to go to Shaw's with me? Your day is officially over, so don't feel like you have to."
She removed her hand. "Thank God!"
The brunette chuckled. "That was only day one, kid."
"I can't imagine anything being more challenging than what we did today," Piper sighed.
"Ha!" she laughed. "Get ready. Tomorrow, we have to repair a sinkhole in the O'Sullivan's driveway. There's a jackhammer in your future."
She ran her hand on the back of her sweaty, aching neck. "Can't wait."
Alex had already driven off Sand Point Road and was headed in the direction of Shaw's grocery store.
"I guess I'm going with you," the blonde commented.
"Should've spoken up sooner if you didn't want to go." She smirked.
"I wanted to go, so…" Piper gave her a small smile.
The women walked down four aisles of the grocery store together, Piper suggesting items that Alex vetoed, and the brunette reminding her of the practicality of shopping for staples.
"Let's buy them something they can eat tonight, like a frozen lasagna or something," the blonde suggested.
"Frozen lasagna? Gross." Alex let out a short huff. "Is that what you eat at home?"
"A lot of the time, yeah." She pulled the front of the cart towards the frozen food section, but Alex maneuvered it in the opposite direction.
"If we're going to buy them dinner, let's make it something fresh." The arrived at the deli. "What do you think—green bean or macaroni salad?"
Piper put a finger to her lips. "Macaroni, definitely. The baked salmon looks good."
A deli worker approached them. "Hey, Alex. How's it going?"
"Hey, Diego." She smiled. "I thought you were off on Mondays?"
"I should be after what you put me through yesterday," he laughed, rotating his arm around twice. "That was some heavy lifting."
"Sorry." She rested her glasses on top of her head. "How's the baked salmon today?"
"Just came out of the oven 20 minutes ago."
"Perfect. We'll take three of those, and a container of macaroni salad."
"You got it," Diego replied.
Piper wondered what the man had helped Alex with the day before, but before she could enquire, Alex turned to her. "Wanna have dinner tonight?"
"Yes!" Piper's eyes widened. "I mean, sure. That would be nice."
"Maybe a little surf and turf?" Alex offered.
Piper hoped her eagerness wasn't as apparent as it felt when she'd jumped at the chance to spend more time with Alex.
"That sounds amazing." The blonde covered her rumbling stomach. "I've worked up an appetite."
"Thank you." Alex accepted the two containers from the deli worker. "Sure you don't want frozen lasagna instead?"
She jutted one leg out and put her hands on her hips. "You think you're funny, but you're really not."
"Come on, I'll show you how to pick out the best steaks." Alex strolled the cart down the aisle, and Piper stood next to her.
She stuffed her hands in her pockets. "How'd you learn all of this?"
The brunette regarded her companion. "All of what?"
"How to fend for yourself and do stuff that most women don't traditionally do?"
"I've never believed in gender specific roles." She shrugged. "Besides, I grew up with a single mom who raised me to be responsible for myself. I had to do shit, like make dinner for myself, all the time. My mom never bought processed food—we had fresh everything, and I had to figure out how to make it all work in one cohesive dish."
Piper contrasted that to her own life, where she didn't have to lift a finger. They had maids and a lawn service to do the heavy lifting. The only chore the blonde had as a child was to vacuum her room and the upstairs hallway once a week.
She looked up at the dark haired woman. "It probably sucked when you were younger, but I'll bet you're happy about it now."
"Yeah, that's about the size of it." Alex smiled. "Ok, here are two packages of meat. Which one would you buy?"
"Mmm, that one." She pointed to the package in Alex's right hand.
"Why?"
"I don't know… the meat is redder—it looks healthier."
"Not bad, kid." She set the other package down. "The first thing you want to do is look at the expiration date. Dig deep down in the cooler to get the newest package you can find. Next, look for marbling. See those lines?"
Piper nodded.
"That's what gives the meat flavor. You don't want thick lines, like this one." The brunette pointed to the other container. "And you definitely don't want a fat cap like that."
The blonde was lost on what Alex was saying. She just watched the other woman with fascination as she explained how to identify the best cuts of meat. Piper had never met anyone like Alex—so self-sufficient, confident and unafraid. There seemed to be nothing the brunette didn't know, and Piper was captivated by her new friend's expansive knowledge.
"I never realized how expensive meat was," Piper commented.
"Don't worry about the price." The brunette grinned. "Let's get some fresh shrimp. I have some in my freezer, but we're going to grill these bad boys, so fresh is best."
They picked up a few last minute items, jumped into the truck, and Alex stopped at the Green's house to put the groceries away. Piper noticed several rose bushes outside, so she offered to pick flowers for the family. Alex handed her a vase from under the sink, and the blonde chose six pink and yellow roses that she displayed on the counter.
"Why don't you go home and shower, and head back to my place when you're done?" Alex suggested.
"I can't wait to get under that hot water." The blonde exited the truck. "See you in a bit."
Alex waved. "Ok."
Piper removed her shoes and socks, and then headed directly upstairs to bathe. She stood under the hot water for five minutes without attempting to wash her body—it felt amazing just to let the water hit her skin. She couldn't believe how hard manual labor was, but she was determined not to give up. The only other job she'd had was lifeguarding one summer in Connecticut. She had to work almost every weekend, so she quit that gig after only two months on the stand.
Piper couldn't wait to uncover more intriguing things about Alex. She hoped that the brunette found her company appealing and figured that must have been the case, since Alex was the one who invited her to dinner twice. The blonde put on a pair of baby blue J. Crew shorts and a yellow tank top with a white see-through sweater over it for warmth against what was sure to be another cool evening. She diffused her hair, making it more wavy than what Alex had seen thus far, but she refused to put on makeup. Besides, her tan complexion and rosy cheeks made her look young & healthy. She dabbed on some clear lip gloss and headed out the door.
As she approached the dark haired woman's cottage she heard music coming from inside. Although Piper didn't know the singer, she recognized the song: Darling you thrill me, honest you do. At first I thought it was infatuation, but oooh it's lasted so long…
The blonde tapped on the propped open door. "Alex? Hello?"
There was no answer, so she stepped inside and heard the shower running. "I'm here," Piper yelled. "I didn't want to frighten you when you came out of the bathroom, so..."
"Thanks, kid," she replied over the water. "Make yourself comfortable. There's beer and wine in the fridge."
Piper was pleased that she had the chance to look around the room on her own, paying more attention to detail than she had previously. The first thing she noticed was a round tray of lit white candles sitting on the coffee table, which she realized was an old chest. She picked up the iPod and looked at the Sam Cooke album cover, and then the song changed to Cupid. She placed it back where she'd found it and looked for the wireless speaker, which, she noticed, was perched on the highest bookshelf. The blonde hadn't realized that there was a sizeable skylight on the West side of the A-framed ceiling, which provided a soft glow from the setting sun that evening.
She walked towards the bookshelf and saw a framed photograph of a much younger Alex and an older woman, who, Piper assumed, was her mom. She picked up the frame and stared at it for a moment when she heard the water shut off. The blonde quickly returned the photo to the shelf and glanced at a few book titles next to the frame. She touched the spine of each vastly different novel: Team of Rivals, Orient, The Deadlands, Go Set a Watchman, and The Celestine Prophecy.
She ambled into the kitchen and saw a pot on the stove with small yellow and red potatoes inside. She also noticed the remnants of chopped herbs on a cutting board and decided to rinse the board and knife. Piper opened the refrigerator and saw a metal bowl filled with shrimp, marinating in herbs, and two New York strips next to it, covered with cracked pepper, garlic and cilantro. She pulled out a bottle of Rosé and attempted to open it when Alex surfaced with a towel wrapped around her body and wet, jet black hair dripping down her chest.
"Let me help with that." Alex took the bottle from the blonde who had to tell herself to close her mouth, which she was certain was hanging wide open like a guppy. "These corks can be stubborn." With one tug, the cork popped out with a satisfying pop. "Pour me a glass while I get dressed?"
The blonde nodded, vocal chords stubbornly uncooperative. She watched Alex's retreating form and had to steady herself against the counter. Piper noticed her alabaster skin and wondered how she could possibly look so soft when Alex did that kind of manual labor in the blazing sun.
"I hope you like oldies," the brunette called as the song changed to Nothing Can Change This Love. "I grew up listening to the classic crooners; Sam Cooke was my mom's favorite."
Piper shut her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. She opened her eyes, giving herself a pep talk to act normal, and filled two wine glasses with the pink liquid as she heard the other woman singing along to the music.
"My grandmother loved Sinatra," the blonde commented from the kitchen. "I remember listening to old albums with her on Sunday afternoons while she made strawberry shortcake."
"I like Ol' Blue Eyes," Alex replied as she entered the kitchen in a black t-shirt with musical instruments sketched on the front and the word jazz written between the trumpet and the drums. Her legs must've still been damp, because the white linen shorts clung to one of her toned thighs. "How'd your shower feel?"
Piper handed her a wine glass and realized that her hands were shaking. "Fabulous."
"One day, we'll have to take an outdoor shower. Talk about refreshing." She clinked her glass against Piper's, and once again, the blonde couldn't speak.
The thought of showering with Alex…outdoors? Her mouth became very dry and she had to do something to recover, so she walked past her hostess and back into the living room. Piper sat on the leather sofa and gave herself another mental talk about pulling her shit together.
"Everything alright?" The brunette asked after a sip of wine.
"Yeah. Of course, why wouldn't it be?" She rambled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Is that your guitar?"
"Yeah." Alex sat next to her. "I'm teaching myself how to play. Well, technically I tried to teach myself." She paused for a sip. "I started in December and was pretty consistent for a few months, and then work started getting insane, so I stopped in May."
"Will you play a song for me?"
"Maybe later." She smiled. "I like your hair like that."
She instinctively reached up to touch her head. "Oh, thanks. It's naturally wavy, so if I blow dry it a certain way…"
Alex touched a long, blonde ringlet. "It's nice."
Bring it on Home to Me blared through the speaker, and Piper watched her companion take a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and for a split second, she wondered if Alex had it as bad for her as she did for Alex.
Out of nowhere, the brunette stood and stuck out her hand. "Dance with me."
Piper swallowed hard and somehow found a way to stand on shaky legs. She'd never danced with a woman. Alex pulled her close, and Piper's senses were on overload—Alex's now familiar scent and warm body holding Piper closely was enough to send the blonde right over the edge. It was like she was dreaming or imagining all of this. The women swayed to the music, and Piper rested her head on her companion's shoulder. Alex hummed the song, adding words in whispers every now and then. The blonde lowered her hands to the spot where Alex's back met her butt and found a nice dip in which to lay her hand. Piper caught a glimpse of the two of them dancing together in a full length mirror, and she thought they looked perfect together. She closed her eyes for the rest of the song, hoping that she would remember this very moment exactly as it was playing out.
"Thank you." As the song ended, the dark haired woman pulled back and smiled. "I used to dance with my mom to that song."
Her mom?
Her mom?
Was their dance just an excuse for Alex to feel connected to her mother?
"Oh." Piper took a step back and lifted her wine glass. "Well, it's a beautiful song."
The brunette scratched her head and averted her eyes, a move that Piper couldn't translate. "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, actually. I've been famished all day." Piper moved into the kitchen, saddened by the turn of events. Perhaps she'd been reading the signals wrong.
Alex followed and pulled a sleeve of crackers out of the cabinet. "Will you make a cheese plate? I have to set up the grill."
"Sure." She'd never made a cheese plate in her life, but it couldn't be that difficult.
Alex disappeared outside, humming the next song that blasted through the speaker.
As the blonde set out two types of cheese and a handful of purple grapes on a platter, she thought about every flirtatious moment with Alex so far. Did the dark haired woman see her more as a sister? But then there was Alex's recent comment about showering together and the one earlier about her nipples poking out in the white t-shirt. Surely those weren't comments one would make to a sibling. As she rolled the sleeve of wheat crackers onto the plate, it dawned on her that maybe the reason why Alex occasionally flirted with her was to get her to help with the upkeep of properties along Sand Point Road. Was Piper nothing more than a convenient assistant? She brought the platter outside and set it on the table.
"Nice job." Alex smiled as she lit the charcoal and stepped back. "Maybe cut some hydrangeas for the table?"
The blonde stepped back inside, still miffed at the possibility that Alex had no intention of being romantically involved with her.
"Vases are under the sink," Alex called. "There are some garden scissors next to them in a green basket."
She found a short glass vase, filled it with water and went outside to cut flowers. Piper had a decision to make—she could either confront the dark haired woman about her intentions or snap out of the funk she was in. As she clipped a gorgeous purple flower, she decided to just enjoy the evening for what it was. Piper had always been quick to form an opinion, but Alex had kept her guessing. She was confident that she'd have the other woman figured out by the end of the night.
She presented the flowers to her companion. "How does this look?"
"Perfect." Alex took the vase and set it on the table. "I'll grab the steaks and shrimp. Sit down; enjoy the view."
"Will you get my glass?" Piper called. "I left it on the counter."
The brunette appeared a moment later, offering Piper a refilled glass of Rosé. She put her fingertips on the blonde's shoulder as she handed her the glass, and they lingered a couple of seconds longer than any touch should last between friends.
Piper tried not to read anything into it. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Alex walked back inside, and when she appeared again, she had the shrimp and steak in each hand. Piper watched her set the dishes down, and then carry the cheese platter to the Adirondack chairs.
"It feels good to sit."
Piper cut a piece of Brie and placed it on a cracker. "Here."
"Thank you." Alex popped it into her mouth. "Mmm. I think I could eat the whole tray."
She smiled and shoved a piece of cheese into her own mouth.
"So, Piper." Alex sipped her wine. "You already know about me. Tell me more about you."
"What do you want to know?"
The brunette put a chunk of Manchego on a cracker. "You mentioned you're a theater minor. What plays have you been in?"
"Let's see… Romeo & Juliet, Death of a Salesman, A Raisin in the Sun…those were the most recent." She popped another cracker into her mouth.
"What was your favorite?"
She tapped a finger against her chin. "I like anything by Tennessee Williams. I guess my favorite is A Streetcar Named Desire. I never actually acted in it, but I've seen it performed at least five times."
"Mmm," Alex seemed lost in reflection. "I saw it on Broadway with my mom when I was 12 or 13. That was a big deal."
Piper glanced at her companion. "Did you go to New York often with her?"
"Not really, only like four or five times. We'd get a hotel room, eat hot dogs from street vendors and ice cream sandwiches from Duane Reade's…" She smiled. "I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world."
"Your mom sounds like a special person."
"She really was." Alex looked up at the stars as they began to reveal themselves in the darkening sky. "I wish you could've met her."
Again, Piper was confused about the brunette's intentions, but she took her statement as a compliment. "If she was anything like you, I'm sure I'd like her a lot."
With the back of her head still resting against the Adirondack chair, Alex twisted her neck until she was facing Piper. She lifted a hand and squeezed her companion's arm. "Thanks," she whispered.
Piper smiled back tenderly. The women sat in silence as Sam Cooke sang, Just For You, and the combination of music, cicadas, and waves crashing against the shore sent Piper's heart soaring again as she imagined this being her life. She could only be so lucky.
"I'm sure the coals are hot by now." Alex stood and shoved a cracker topped with cheese into her mouth. "More wine?"
The blonde looked at her glass. "You trying to get me drunk?"
She chuckled. "I don't think it would take much."
Piper followed her companion, handing her a pair of tongs as Alex lifted the plate of steaks towards the grill.
"You'd be surprised how much I can drink," the blonde offered. "But I'd prefer not to be hungover for another full work day tomorrow."
While Alex grilled, they continued talking about theater, and Piper recited a monologue from Cat on Hot Tin Roof. The brunette got a kick out of it, and they laughed together at how dramatic Piper could be. Alex encouraged her to choose a new playlist on her iPod, so the blonde played one called, Dinner Party, which featured an eclectic blend of music from Miles Davis to George Michael. They discussed their musical tastes, Piper admitting that she'd been into 80s music for the past few months, and Alex stating that her musical tastes varied as the wind blew—one day she'd rock out to Def Leppard, the next she'd listen to Chopin or Bach.
They ate dinner al fresco with another bottle of wine, this time a red blend, and the conversation moved into a more personal realm.
Alex wiped her mouth with a napkin. "So, how many hearts have you broken, kid?"
The blonde took a sip of wine. "Not many."
Alex lifted her eyebrows as if to challenge her statement.
"Let's see…There was Thaddeus in sixth grade, my first real boyfriend, and then Jonathan in ninth grade and Larry my junior and senior years of high school." She pushed her plate away.
"Larry, huh?" She tipped her glass back.
The blonde nodded. "He was my most serious boyfriend. I dated a couple of guys in college, but it never lasted more than a month or two."
Alex nodded slowly as if she was trying to picture Piper the girlfriend.
"What about you?" She swirled the red liquid in her glass.
"I was never into boys," Alex exhaled. "Does that come as a surprise to you?"
"No, not really." The blonde felt a blush crawling up her neck to her cheeks. "I mean, you're not all butchy or anything…not that there's anything wrong with manly looking women, or…I don't really know how they like to be called."
The brunette grinned. "Butch is the proper term."
"Right. Ok, yeah." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I saw you over Memorial Day weekend with some other women in town, and I wondered then, I guess…" When Alex didn't confirm or deny that she was with other lesbians, the blonde continued. "And then I was riding my bike down the street, and I saw all of you sitting out here by the firepit."
She raised her eyebrows. "I didn't know you saw us."
"I wasn't spying or anything," she tried. "It just looked like you were having fun."
Alex issued a tight-lipped, discreet smile. "We were."
She didn't expand upon her answer, so Piper decided to leave it alone. "I'm sure you've broken your share of hearts over the years."
"I'm sure I have," she chuckled and poured more wine into her glass. "I don't like to talk about my love life."
The blonde covered her glass, indicating that she didn't want more wine. "Why not?"
"It's complicated." Alex ran her hands up and down her thighs. "Besides, I'd rather listen to you tell me horror stories about dates gone wrong."
Piper shared a few tales, but in the back of her mind, she wondered what Alex was hiding. Was she in a relationship? Or had she recently gotten over a bad one?
They cleaned the dishes together, and Piper offered to take the tablecloth home to wash it. (She'd spilled a little red wine.) Alex insisted it was no big deal and used some Spray-N-Wash to rid the fabric of the stain.
"Want dessert?" The dark haired woman asked.
"No, thank you. I'm stuffed and exhausted. I should probably head home."
"Suit yourself." Alex pulled out a bowl of strawberries and whipped cream.
The blonde shoved her hands in her pockets. "Thank you for another lovely evening."
"Thanks for the company."
"Guess I'll see you bright and early tomorrow, this time, wearing the right outfit," she replied with a grin.
"Good." Alex smiled.
As Piper walked outside, the brunette followed. "Want me to walk you up the hill?"
"Nah, I'll be fine." She walked backwards a few steps. "Good night, Alex."
"Good night," she replied.
When the blonde was almost to the road, Alex called out. "Hey, Piper?"
She turned around and eyed Alex, who was still in front of her cottage. "Yeah?"
"That comment I made about my mom while we were dancing…" She ran a hand through her thick, black locks. "I wasn't trying to relive a memory or anything."
Piper gave her a warm smile. "Even if you were, that would be ok."
"I really liked dancing with you." It was the shyest tone Alex had used in the blonde's presence.
Her smile lit up the night sky. "I liked it to."
"Ok, well, walk safe. Good night."
She held up one hand. "Night."