Count To Ten

Amsterdam was beautiful, and Piper had been enjoying every second of the trip.

While Alex attended to "business", the blonde wandered through tourist-strewn streets, drinking in the atmosphere as she was blown like litter from coffeehouses to shop fronts.

After her third day of sightseeing, boredom was threatening to set in, and Piper found herself travelling in ever-decreasing circles as she wove her way back to the hotel, changing her outfit before meeting Alex at the bar she'd mentioned that morning.

Darkness crept up on Amsterdam as though out of nowhere, and Piper only just reached her girlfriend as the sun set, having marked the ten minutes it took her from lobby to liaison in the back of a taxi, evening darkening the bricks while the lamps lit around them.

"I thought you said you wanted to get away from the tourists?" Piper smiled upon arrival, an arm around her girlfriend's waist as she eyed the bustling bar, although Alex had managed to find them a small table in a secluded corner near the door.
A leery stag party passed a little too close, and Alex pressed against her subconsciously, a providing safe place in the crowd, a lighthouse in a social storm.
"Sometimes you've got to cut through the crowd to get to the other side, Pipes." Alex said softly, fingertips brushing Piper's hand as she passed her a chilled beer, leaving trails of cold condensation across warm skin.

Piper brightened immediately. "Are we eating here?"
Alex reached across their table and toyed with Piper's fingers, intertwining them. "I thought maybe we could eat at the hotel tonight."
"Oh." Piper was confused, not only by the coy expression on Alex's face, but also by the fact that Alex had insisted Piper come out and meet her at this particular venue. If they were eating at the hotel, Piper could've waited there.

Alex continued, her eyes scanning the room before continuing. "There's somewhere I'd like to take you, before dinner. Unless you're hungry now?"
Aspects of Alex's behaviour seemed evasive, and her eyes hadn't settled on Piper for longer than a second since they'd sat down. Something was wrong.
"No, I had a snack back at the..." But Alex had closed off again, absently stroking Piper's knuckles as she browsed the bottles behind the bar, watching the clock above the Cuban rum as though she were waiting for something. "Alex?"
Alex's head whipped back, eyes focusing on Piper. "Yeah Pipes?"

Alex's preoccupation was throwing her, and she wanted to help. She smiled again, gently this time, as she traced the water droplets from her bottled beer across Alex's upturned wrist, chilling the veins that threaded beneath the thin skin.
"Is something wrong?" Piper knew she was supposed to feel relief as Alex shook her head, but it wasn't enough.
She pressed her hands over her girlfriend's damp flesh and smiled. "Then will you at least tell me where we're going?"
Watching Piper's motions intently, Alex adjusted her glasses, visibly softening before the blonde. "It's a club."

They watched one another for a moment more before Piper spoke again, unable to deconstruct Alex's answer. "You seem a little distant tonight."
Alex paused, mulling over a response before opening her mouth. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I guess I'm preoccupied."
Piper waited before pushing for more. Alex rarely performed well under pressure, unless they were in bed. In those cases, the pressure often made the outcome better.

"The place we're going to," the brunette continued, dismissively. "I've never taken anybody there before."

Piper's train of thought slowed, pulling her into a station she hadn't seen before: Alex Vause was nervous. The coolest, calmest person she had ever known was nervous. It was so uncharacteristic, Piper felt uneasy.

"Well," She slipped off the stool and rounded on Alex, finishing the last mouthful beer she had consumed surprisingly quickly. A buzz hit her as she reached the brunette, bolstering her bravado, curiosity consuming her. What could possibly make Alex nervous? " You've got me intrigued."
Alex raised a knowing eyebrow at her, a smirk gracing her beer-slicked lips. "Patience is a virtue, Pipes."
Piper felt a blush flushing her neck, warming her. "I'm not very good at being patient."
Alex laughed a little, her mirth rumbling low in her throat. She watched Piper closely before breaking their social silence again. "Then what're we waiting for? Let's go."