Twelve #2
Victoria’s mouth curves into a coy smile, her red lipstick bright under the studio lights. “Wonderful. I’m curious; could you explain what you meant when you said—so eloquently, I might add—that only single cat ladies use vibrators?”
Charlie’s jaw drops. Something buzzes in her ear, and it’s another moment before she realizes it’s the silence.
“What is she doing?” she breathes.
Theo’s playful grin freezes on his face.
Victoria must have researched Theo. She mentioned she wanted to listen to some past episodes, but Charlie never asked if she did. Then again, even if she didn’t, a bare-bones internet search would have revealed his controversial comment.
Wes shifts on his cushion. “Shit.”
Charlie glances at him, sure that his expression of shock mixed with dawning horror is mirrored on her face.
This can’t be happening. Charlie’s pulse throbs in her fingertips from gripping her hands so tightly.
There’s no way this’ll end well. Theo’s comment about deciding whether the interview is salvageable blares through her mind. She has no doubt this part will end up on the chopping block.
If he decides to air the interview at all.
Behind the glass, Theo leans back in his chair, bristling with tension, his effortless cool-guy demeanor gone.
Bianca doesn’t move.
Theo clears his throat, but Victoria takes the opportunity to speak again.
“I mean, don’t you think it’s a little trite to be so overtly sexist? Please educate yourself and make funnier jokes that aren’t racist, sexist, or misogynistic. Don’t give in to your baser instincts just for a laugh or a follow.”
Theo levels his dark gaze at her but still says nothing.
“Did you know that using vibrators in the bedroom not only increases her pleasure—if we’re speaking about heterosexual relationships, of course—but also yours?
Haven’t you ever heard of vibrating cock rings?
Cock rings help people with penises last longer.
Don’t you want to see your partner get off?
Aren’t you macho masculine men always talking about wanting to last longer in bed? ”
Victoria positively comes alive as she dresses down Theo.
“Here’s a sex education lesson for you: vibrators can help improve people’s emotional and physical well-being.
” Victoria grins, unfazed by Theo’s silence.
“They can help someone recovering from sexual trauma gain confidence again. After you orgasm, your brain releases what is known as “feel-good” hormones. You know, like serotonin and dopamine. They can improve mood and reduce anxiety.” She leans forward, her elbows on the desk, arching a dark brow.
“How often do you and your partner feel relaxed and less stressed after an earth-shattering, screaming orgasm?”
“Oh my god,” Charlie gasps, hardly daring to believe what she’s hearing.
This is—
Fucking amazing.
Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined Victoria taking over Theo’s podcast to discuss female pleasure and the benefits of vibrators.
Victoria, who keeps her cool no matter how stressful her day is.
Victoria, who agreed to come on the podcast of a man she didn’t know in order to save her clinic.
Wes lets out a surprised laugh before clapping a hand over his mouth. He and Charlie exchange another look, this one of befuddled excitement.
Victoria primly crosses her legs under the table.
“I think we can agree that the term ‘single cat ladies’ is so tired. Frankly, being a single cat lady is the most fun because you don’t have to give a fuck what anyone thinks, you can live by your own rules, and”—she nods at Theo—“you get to come all over the place with your beautiful, majestic vibrator all. Day. Long.”
Victoria grins, exuding a devastating confidence Charlie can’t tear her eyes from.
Tilting his head, Theo studies her before leaning forward.
Something alive and electric crackles in the silence.
When he speaks, his voice is low and sultry.
“Tell me more about these sex toys, Victoria.”
Clear blue skies stretch above Charlie, the mid-afternoon sun hidden behind the tall New York City buildings. The moment she steps out onto the sidewalk, she’s hit with the sounds of the city, but she hardly hears them over her excitement coursing through her veins.
“Oh my god, that was exhilarating.” Victoria presses a palm to her forehead.
“I can’t believe I did that. That was…” She stares at Charlie, a wide grin splitting her face.
“I’ve never felt so alive. I just— I wasn’t even planning on mentioning the whole vibrator thing, but the moment I walked into that studio, I got so angry about the ignorance of men.
Not just him, but everyone who thinks they know better than women.
I mean, the arrogance of some people thinking they know best about someone else’s body! ”
For the remainder of the episode, Victoria and Theo had the most fascinating discussion about the female orgasm and sexual dysfunction that Charlie had ever heard.
Their banter was quick and endless, and there was a palpable chemistry and friction between them that felt almost too intimate to witness.
After closing out the show, Theo didn’t linger, murmuring a hasty goodbye to all three of them and excusing himself to his office, a sign Charlie didn’t know how to interpret.
Victoria couldn’t stop beaming, however, and Bianca gushed about how dynamic and rousing the episode had been.
“I’m serious, guys,” she said, showing them to the bank of elevators that would bring them to street level.
“I’ve been producing Male Perspective for more than two years now, and we’ve never had a recording session like that.
” She touched Victoria’s shoulder. “You might have something special here.”
Victoria brushed her off. “It’s just one episode. I did it to help my clinic.”
On the sidewalk, Victoria freezes, her eyes widening. “I wasn’t too harsh, was I?” She looks at Wes. “He won’t cut that part out, will he?”
Charlie also looks at Wes, but he simply smiles.
“I doubt it. I’m not a podcast expert, but I agree with Bianca. There was something different about this episode. Besides,” he adds with a sly smile, “Theo needs his ego checked every once in a while, and you did a number on him in a good way.”
Victoria beams at Charlie with unfiltered pride. “Thank you for suggesting this, Charlie.”
Charlie preens. “Don’t thank me yet. We’ll see what happens once it’s released.”
“We should celebrate.” Wes points down the street. “There’s a great tapas bar just around the corner.”
Victoria checks her phone and shakes her head. “Sorry, I’m meeting a friend from med school before we catch our train. But thank you, Wesley, for being an excellent navigator today.”
“It’s Wes,” he says. “And no problem. Anything for Charlie.”
Charlie’s heart stalls. She peers up at him, but he doesn’t look at her.
He’s just being polite, she tells herself, examining the chipping paint on the crown molding above the entrance to the building they just vacated.
With a final enthusiastic wave, Victoria strides down the sidewalk, a noticeable skip in her step. When Charlie turns back to Wes, he’s already watching her, a small smile on his lips. The excitement from moments earlier fades, replaced by uncertainty.
“Quinn,” she begins, “about Nash—”
“No.” He holds up a hand. “Don’t say anything. I’m the one who stormed off like a child.” Blowing out a breath, he runs a hand through his hair. “I need to apologize.”
Her gaze snags on his long fingers tugging on the blond strands.
Grimacing, he rubs the back of his neck before sliding his hands into his coat pockets. “I wasn’t angry with you. I was angry with myself for reverting back to petty insecurities I thought I’d moved past.”
“Quinn, it’s okay—”
“It’s not.” When he peers down at her, her pulse races from the intensity in his eyes. “It’s not okay. You didn’t do anything wrong. I was angry, and when it comes to Nash Hudson, I forget I’m not the same person I was in high school and react childishly.”
She searches his gaze for a moment before she nods. “Thank you for saying that.” She bites her lip, shivering in the brisk breeze. “And I’m sorry for lying to Nash about sleeping with you.”
He studies her closely. “Why did you?”
Her heart stutters. She forces herself not to look away.
Because I wanted it to be true.
She shrugs. “He was being an ass and insisting I tell him who I’d slept with. Yours was the first name I thought of since I was seeing you the next day at our peer health event.”
He nods, glancing down the sidewalk. People trickle past them, someone occasionally pushing through the door into the building they just left.
When Wes turns to her again, his face is clear, devoid of worry. “Let me make it up to you.”
Charlie shakes her head. “It’s fine, Quinn. I promise.”
“When does your train leave?”
She glances at her phone. “Three hours.”
“Excellent.” He takes her hand without warning and leads her down the sidewalk. “Enough time to do a sightseeing crash course if we skip all the overcrowded touristy stuff.”
A thrill sweeps through her veins. She quickens her pace, trying to keep up with his long strides, almost convincing herself her cheeks are flushed because she’s practically running. “Are you kidnapping me?”
He laughs, loud and bright, the mid-afternoon sun glinting off his tousled blond hair, and leads her seamlessly down the street in a direction only he knows.
His hand is warm and secure around hers.
She tries not to imagine those hands touching other parts of her, the rough callouses on his palms gliding over her skin.
They pause at a crosswalk, waiting for the signal to change.
“That’s where your brain went? Always the pessimist.”
“Realist,” she quips.
The light changes, and he tugs her along. “Trust me, okay?”
That’s the problem, she thinks. She’s finding it more and more difficult to keep herself from trusting him again.