Let's see where this story goes
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Piper
The cab pulls up to the curb and the driver gets out to open the door for you. You're surprised with his manners as most drivers collect the money and drive away before your foot is on the ground.
When you step out, your eyes naturally go to the glow of the only apartment whose lights are still on. The window is open and curtains drawn and you know Polly is awake, waiting for you as she does every night you're out.
"Thanks," you say and reach for your pockets to give money but the driver shakes his head. You remember then that Alex paid but you never actually saw her do so.
"Have a nice night," he says to you and you say 'you too' but he's already in the car.
You watch as he drives away then you use your key to unlock the front door of the complex then Polly's front door to get into her apartment. The second you walk in, you're hit with the strong smell of pine and baby lotion. Polly uses the lotion frequently and says it's great for her skin and you always mention that there'll be none for her baby when it finally crawls out. The comment always earns you a middle finger.
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"Piper!" Polly tries to sound happy to see you but you can hear the tiredness in her voice and know she's fallen asleep at least twice. "You're finally home. It's been hours."
You nod and kick off your shoes. "I didn't mean to be gone for so long." You leave them by the door on a mat that says "WELCOME HOME". You only understand the mat when you think like someone who lives at Polly's but, even though you are a frequent visitor, you don't. ". . ." You look at her, "Sorry. I got held up."
"With Larry?"
You shrug. "Something like that."
Polly watches you and she moves over on the couch, making room for you. "Sit," she says and pats the empty spot. "I haven't seen you for hours. Talk to me, Piper."
"There's not much to say. I went on a date and the date ended."
"You were gone for that long? Just a date? Larry must be better than I thought." She wiggles her brows and you roll your eyes.
"I went to a bar," you say. "I went to a bar and got drinks."
"With Larry or . . .?"
"By myself."
Polly sits up straighter and she leans toward you, or as best as she can with her protruding stomach. "Why? What happened?"
You think about the last hour and try to recall the date with Larry but all you see is black hair and a rose tattoo. Finally, you sigh and shrug. "I don't even know."
"Piper-"
"Polly, I'm tired. It's late and I want to go to bed. Can I crash here?"
Polly nods. "Yes, of course. You don't have to ask. You know where the bed is."
You smile gratefully at her before making your departure.
.
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Polly's room is nothing impressive but it beats sleeping at your parents' home in your childhood bedroom. Ever since you heard your dad fucking the neighbor, you have never had a peaceful rest there.
Her walls are a cream color and the baseboards are white. There's a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room and a booblight above it. In front of the bed, there's a dresser that has a TV hanging above it but you've never seen Polly use it. You're sure it was more of Pete's idea, which is strange as he's never home.
Her closet has no doors and her bathroom's door is hanging by one hinge. You've been meaning to do Polly a favor and call Cal to fix the door but you keep forgetting.
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You sigh and remove your shirt then your pants. Sleep is all you want but it doesn't come even when your head is on the soft 30-dollar pillow and a blanket covers your lower half. Rather than sleep, you hear the noise of the bar and the whisper of Alex's voice. It's only after the tattoo has appeared three times in your mind that you remember she has your keys and for some reason, after the realization, sleep finally comes.
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September 5, 2013
When you wake up with a churning in your stomach and a headache that pounds against your skull, you curse quietly and rush to the nearest bathroom. It takes more coordination than you currently have to step over the many baby items and you almost don't make it to the toilet to vomit.
Polly must hear you as she comes waddling into the bathroom a minute later. She has her hand on her stomach and she seems to be judging you. "Do you have that weak of a stomach?"
You vomit again.
"How much did you drink yesterday?"
"Two glasses," you lie as you know Polly will go insane if she discovers you almost got drunk alone at the bar.
"I'll get you some water."
You can't muster up a thank you as you vomit again but you are grateful for Polly and the comfort she offers.
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When Polly returns, you are no longer hunched over the toilet and are now leaning against the bathtub. You have your knees to your chest and arms tucked over them. The only noise you make is a whimper as she hands you the glass of water.
"Take it slow," Polly instructs but you have already drunk half of the glass.
You smile sheepishly up at her and she rolls her eyes. "Don't be mad when you're vomiting that up in an hour."
You nod and set the glass on the tub's edge. You sigh and tilt your head back, the position alieving the headache somehow.
"College Piper could down five drinks and not throw up. What happened?" It's Polly's attempt at a conversation but you can barely focus on her voice.
You manage a shrug and that's answer enough for her.
"I got the same way then I got married and now I'm pregnant. Perhaps it's a sign."
Larry comes to your mind and you groan as the headache gets worse. "I don't think it's a sign for me to settle down," you mutter. "Just to stop drinking."
She nods. "That too." She takes a seat on the tub's edge. "You should stay for the day. I can't have you driving around New York all hungover. The meth heads around here crash plenty for the both of us."
You manage a weak chuckle at that then shake your head. "I'm not going anywhere." You pause. "Alex has my keys."
"And Alex is . . .?"
"The waitress at the bar. Claimed she had to take my keys because she feared I was drunk." It's a lie on a lie but you don't worry about it getting exposed.
Polly nods. "I've never heard of that rule. Seen plenty of bars kick drunks out. I don't believe they're liable for anything that happens outside of the bar." She doesn't appear mad about your keys and says, "I'm glad she took them though."
"I wasn't going to drive anyway," you claim.
That Polly doesn't believe. "Who names their kid Alex anyway?"
You look at her. "Really?" You ask and she nods. "I think it's a gender-neutral name."
"Rrm," Polly shakes her head. "No."
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Alex turns the keys over in her hand. They're attached to a lanyard that has palm trees on them. Trinkets also hang from the lanyard and she touches them gently before shaking the keys.
"You're like a cat that plays with anything shiny and loud."
She glances up at Aydin. "What do I do with them?"
"Keep them on you," he says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I'd hate to lose them and cause unneeded issues."
"I'll put them in the lost and found."
"But they're not lost." He stands before Alex and touches the lanyard. "Just wear the lanyard. You only have to do it for a maximum of three days."
Alex nods and she slips the lanyard on. "What are you doing?" She asks.
"Cleaning up the bar so I can go home and rest."
"No, I meant after this but I guess I got my answer." She stands from her seat.
Aydin watches her.
"I have nothing going on and I'm not quite tired. Do you want to come over?"
"Are we drinking?"
Alex shakes her head. "Maybe watch a movie."
Aydin pretends to think it over but Alex knows the answer before he says it. "Sure."
.
.
They clean up the bar within an hour and find themselves arguing over the driving situation.
"We'll just take mine," Alex says, already unlocking her car. It's a Porsche that she's been meaning to get rid of as it doesn't fit her style anymore.
"Or we can take mine." Alex looks at Aydin's buggy and shakes her head. "No."
"Fine, we can drive in separately."
Alex sits in the driver's seat then leans over and opens the passenger door. "Get in the car, Aydin."
Aydin approaches the car and he leans down, looking at Alex. "Answer me this, wise guy, how am I supposed to get home?"
"Stay the night," Alex says it like it's nothing. She's not invested in the conversation as she grabs a dog ball and collar and tosses them to the back. "I forgot I had Pepper in here," she says when Aydin looks at her confused.
"When'd you get a dog?"
"A month ago." She says nothing else and starts the car then looks at Aydin. She doesn't have to tell him to get in.
"You're lucky I like you," he says and sits down. Alex just smiles at him and pulls out into the road.
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Alex has had many people over to her apartment. Some of them are one night stands, others friends, and some people within the business. That said, she has never had Aydin over as they always kept their friendship confined to the bar. It's not that she's nervous for him to see how she lives but the thought of him coming over never crossed her mind.
"You live all the way up here?" Aydin asks when they step out of the elevator and into the foyer of Alex's apartment.
Alex nods and she kicks off her shoes. "I like it up here."
"Anyone would." Aydin looks around the apartment before his eyes settle on the back wall that is made up entirely of glass, allowing someone a great view of New York. He walks forward and stands by the window. "Wow," he says.
Alex removes her jacket and tosses it onto the couch then walks to the corner of the living room where there's a large dog crate. She crouches and unlocks it, not surprised when Pepper runs out. The dog runs in circles around her, yipping out her excitement.
The barking gets Aydin's attention and he watches the small dog. "You got a rat," he says and Alex looks at him with wide eyes.
"You take that back," she says and picks Pepper up. "I'll have you know she is a miniature schnauzer and cost me one-thousand dollars."
Aydin laughs and shakes his head. "I see you spend your money wisely."
"I spend it how I went. I fear that if I save it I'll never get to use it because by the time I'm ready to use it, I'm in jail."
"You think that's how this is going to end?"
"Our job never has a happy ending." She sets Pepper down. "Do you want some water?" She asks, easily moving on from the conversation.
.
.
September 6, 2013
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Two days have passed since your first visit to the bar before you finally revisit the bar. You thought of returning sooner but you didn't want to seem desperate or even lead Alex to believe you're desperate. That and you spent one of the days throwing up everything in your stomach.
But two days without a car has proven to be difficult and Polly can only drive you around so much. You did offer to take the Subway but her irrational fear of them has you staying off the Subway.
"Is this the place?" Polly asks and she looks at the broken L of the bar. "Litch?" She looks at you, "what kind of name is that?"
You shrug. "Don't ask me. I've only been here once and the person who served me didn't give off owner vibes so I never asked."
"Could be named after someone."
"Someone named Litch?"
"You never know. There are people named Frank."
You both nod to that.
"Right. Well, I'll stay out here." She takes a magazine off the dashboard and flips to a random page. "I hear the smell of alcohol and sweaty drunks is bad for babies." The page she has opened to is full of pictures of lingerie on models of all sizes.
"I think the consumption of alcohol is worse," you look away from the magazine, "but yes, smells are horrible." You smile at Polly, "I'll be quick."
"You better. I have to fill up this car soon or we'll be walking."
You say nothing and get out of the car. You can't help but fix your hair and wipe the corner of your mouth before approaching the bar. When you walk in, you approach the counter and lean against it.
The bartender notices you almost immediately and he smiles. "You're the blonde from a couple of nights ago, right?"
You nod.
"Here for a drink?"
"Keys," you answer.
"Keys?" He asks you and you nod. His brows push together and he seems confused for a second or two before he remembers. "Oh yeah. So it's a better day if you aren't drinking."
You force yourself to ignore how he didn't remember the rule about the keys. You shrug. "It's not bad."
"Must be if you're talking to me."
You're sure he's telling a joke but like before, it doesn't land with you. ". . ."
"Right. I'll get Alex."
"You can't just give me them?"
"No, it's a rule." He goes on to explain, "The person who takes the keys has to give them back. Teaches responsibility and if they go missing we can all say 'Alex took them' and not have a wild goose chase type of thing."
You nod slowly. "Right."
He looks at you for a second more then nods. "Yeah, I'm going to get her now."
"Thanks."
.
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He walks towards the booths and in the far right there's one that is concealed from everything. Tucked away in the corner and there he finds Alex sitting with four other men. They all look at him when he approaches and he looks at Alex.
"Your guest is back."
Alex sighs, annoyed. "I thought I shook her off after last night. Shit. I'll deal with her in a minute."
"Not your bedwarming guest but the blonde." He points to the keys that Alex has in her shirt pocket. "The woman who owns those keys."
"Oh." She sits up straighter and looks confused. She glances at the man on her right. "Oh," she whispers.
The man next to her smirks. "Is this the blonde?" He asks.
Alex nods. "Yes, Kubra," she says just before standing up. "You'll have to excuse me. I have to return the keys to her."
"Do what you gotta do."
She nods again. "Understood," she says and walks away from the table.
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.
You don't see her coming or hear her approaching but you know she's near when the smell of puke and alcohol is covered with the smell of vanilla. You turn and she smiles.
"You're back."
"I'm here for my keys," you say almost defensively.
"Sooner than I thought."
"Sooner? You didn't expect me the day after? I can't drive my car without my keys."
Alex shrugs and she takes a seat to your right. "This bar doesn't fit your aesthetic so I figured you'd prolong coming back for as long as possible. Maybe find yourself back when another date with a man goes bad."
You don't say anything and look at the pocket of her shirt. "Can I have my keys?"
"You really just came for keys? No interest in getting to know your waitress?"
"You're not my waitress."
"Oh?"
"I'm not getting drunk therefore you're not my waitress," you explain. You motion to the keys, "Can I have my keys now?"
Alex nods. "Course." She's reaching for them when she glances back at a booth. When her face turns to yours again, a frown has taken up her smile. "Here." The keys are placed in your hands. "Enjoy the rest of your day . . ." Alex pauses, "what is your name?"
You put the keys in your pocket. "Piper."
"Piper. Just Piper?"
"Chapman. Piper Chapman."
Alex nods. "Then enjoy the rest of your day, Piper Chapman."
You nod and watch as she walks away. You're going to look down when Alex turns around and faces you again.
"Hey, I work Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Sometimes more but that's my confirmed schedule. You should uh, you should come by when I'm working." Alex must see your confusion as she explains, "I have great deals on drinks. Men can be horrible dates but I can offer half off on a drink, which is a win."
It's nice of her, you know that but you can't help but ask, "Who said I'm returning?"
"Trust me, you'll be sad again. Horrible dates with men are a frequent thing. Unless you're one of the lucky few."
"I thought you said I wasn't?"
She winks, "Now you're getting it."
You don't want to feed into her teasing but you find yourself leaning toward her. "That's what all gays say."
She laughs. "How many gays do you know?" The question isn't teasing but you don't answer. "Just me then."
"Can I say I know you?" You ask but don't wait for an answer. You stand up and look into her eyes, "Thank you for giving my keys back and keeping them safe."
"Yeah, just doing my job." She smiles at you and turns away. You watch her walk away for a second before leaving the bar.
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"Piper," Polly says once you enter the car. "I am so glad you're back. There's weirdos around here." She looks around and watches a man pass by. "So many weirdos."
You look at the man. "He's walking," you say and settle yourself into your seat.
Polly looks at you. "Did you get your keys?"
"Yes."
"Perfect." She drives away faster than you've seen her ever go.
.
.
Alex walks back to the booth and sighs when she sees that Aydin has taken her spot. "What are you doing?" She asks and he shrugs.
"Enjoying a drink with the Big Man," he says and shrugs again.
"In my seat."
"Sorry." He smirks. "I had to sit down after watching you interact with- oh, what was her name?"
Alex doesn't give it. "What about it?"
"Ah, Piper Chapman." He explains, "Well, I've never seen someone turn away the great Alexandra Vause. Shocked me so much that I just had to take your seat."
"There was nothing to really turn away. I was talking to her no differently than I talk to every other customer."
"Yet she's not in the alley."
"Ok, so I'm befriending her."
He laughs. "You can't do that if you never see her."
She flips him off and then says, "Get out of my seat."
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September 9, 2013
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Alex
It's Sunday evening and you're mopping a spot where some drunk threw up moments ago. You're not happy with this task and have kicked the man out who you can see is moping around outside. Aydin takes this as the perfect moment to walk over to you. He sits at the closest table and watches your mop only to then point at a spot.
"I think you missed that spot," he says and you glare at him.
"Do you want to mop?" You ask and hold the mop out to him. He recoils when the puke side almost touches him.
"Hell no," he says and you nod.
"I thought as much." You go back to mopping but Aydin doesn't leave. "Is there something you want?"
"No," he shakes his head. He crosses his arms and continues to watch you mop. When you wring out the water in the bucket, he says, "I can't help but notice that someone is missing."
You ask who.
Aydin looks around. The bar is still as full as it normally is and the regulars are in their spots. You track his eyes as they look at the counter then they look back at you. "I don't see your blonde friend."
You look around and nod. "You're observant."
"And you're not doing your job."
You shrug, "Some work out and some don't. I don't have much of a say in the outcome."
He scoffs. "Right."
"Besides, she's probably busy. Did you see her? She seems like a woman with a life." You mop the spot again. "A good life," you add.
"Or she's not coming at all."
You're not that offended but you do roll your eyes. "Again, did you see her?" You ask. "She's like rich white. I'm sure she has business meetings and like- I don't know." You're not entirely sure what rich white people do. "Press conferences."
"Sure," he laughs and stands up. "Press conferences."
You don't continue the conversation as a woman walks into the bar. You and Aydin look at her before he looks at you, giving you the same look he gave when Piper walked in. Like Piper, she sits at the counter but Aydin doesn't serve her. You do.
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You walk over to the woman and lean against the counter. "What are you drinking?" You ask and the woman shrugs. She glances around before spotting the small menu of drinks that are on the counter.
". . ." She reads the names several times before looking up at you. "I don't know," she admits, a blush painting her cheeks. "What do you recommend?"
"I don't recommend anything. They're all great drinks if the bartender makes them right." You look her over then say, "You look like a vodka type of person."
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Piper
"He doesn't look like a toe!"
You have to set your wine aside as you laugh so hard your shoulders shake. "He does," you laugh. "He looks like a toe."
"No, he does not. You take that back."
But you don't and Polly keeps glaring at you. At some point, that glare turns into a small smile and she even chuckles.
"Okay, maybe- maybe he looks a little," she pauses and shrugs. "Unkempt at most."
You give her a look.
"He is. He hasn't been on a date in years. Cut him some slack."
"Years? You sent me with a virgin of dates?"
"He's not a virgin of dates. Just had some personal stuff keeping him from dating."
You sip your wine and look at the liquid. Is this really luxurious? You wonder and swish the liquid around.
"-he is a little weird at times but Pete says he's a great guy-" You're unable to disconnect the red of your wine from the red of her tattoo.
"-and he actually stood up for the person-"
You question if something is wrong with you and why you suddenly think about roses. It's been almost three days since you got your keys back, for heaven's sake.
"-when they went to-" Polly stops. She looks at you, eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "Piper!"
You look up. "What?"
"Did you listen to a single word that I just said?"
"Of course," you lie and you know Polly sees through you but she doesn't call you out on it.
"Ok, so yes, he's awkward. But he's a great guy. He's also really funny."
You don't remember any of his jokes landing. "Is he?" You ask.
"When he's not nervous," Polly adds and you laugh.
"Are you saying all of this because you know him or because you want to be some magical love matcher?"
Polly shrugs sheepishly and you immediately know the answers. "Both." She looks away. "More of the latter. It would make an epic story to tell at your wedding and to your toe hybrid children."
You nod, it would.
"Besides, Piper, it's not like you have anyone else. And you should hurry. Didn't your mom say something about your eggs?"
You cringe. "Right. My withering eggs. I only have so much time left as a 23-year-old to conceive," you say in your best mom voice.
Polly shrugs and she touches her stomach.
You sit up straighter and look into Polly's desperate eyes. There are a thousand things she has done for you, starting back in Kindergarten when she protected you from Crazy Chris. You figure one more date won't hurt you and Larry's not a bad guy. Part of him was charming. "Fine. I will go on another date with your husband's friend."
"Larry."
"Right, Larry."
"Good." Polly smiles. "Besides, I already told him you want another date." She looks away so she doesn't have to see your look of pure shock.
"I'm guessing you already set a date then?"
"You know me so well," she continues, "Tomorrow around 1." Her voice lowers, "At the mall's food court."
You almost drop your wine. "The mall," you say. "Why the mall?"
"I don't know."
"Polly-"
"Just ask him tomorrow. Oh, look at that. You have a conversation starter and another great story for your wedding." She sips her water.
"So, what do I wear? Jeans and a sweatshirt that is sitting on the floor of my bedroom? Or is that too fancy?"
Polly shrugs, "Wear something casual. And if all goes to shit then you can go to a bar and not stick out like a sore thumb."
"That's true," you nod and take another sip. You suppose your day tomorrow can't get worse than a date at the mall.
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The bar's day hours are coming to a close and Aydin knows the rush of drunks from clubs and drunk bridesmaids is about to hit. He knows Alex knows this too yet she is nowhere to be seen and he's mad.
"Alex," he tries shouting out but only customers look at him. "Fuck," he curses and angrily tosses his rag onto the counter. He walks out from behind the counter and approaches the side door, knowing if he's going to find her anywhere it's going to be out in the alley with someo-
"Alex," a person moans and Aydin expects just as much.
He stands in the door's frame and glares down at the figure whose head is buried between the woman's legs. He cringes away when she moans loudly, clearing caring very little for those who hear. "Really?" He asks.
Alex lifts her head and she wipes her mouth on her arm. "What?" She asks.
"I was right about the alley thing."
"This doesn't mean she's-" Alex shakes her head. "What do you want?"
"We're about to get our rush. Finish your dinner and come help me clean." He leaves before he sees Alex flipping him off.
Alex licks her lips, tasting the woman on her. ". . ." She looks up at her. "What's your name?" She asks and the woman responds with 'Annie'.