Chapter 15
Avery
They took the subway into Brooklyn, the train rocking gently as the city blurred past. Quinn had one hand resting on her thigh, thumb tracing lazy circles against the denim, the other holding the metal pole beside them.
Avery kept stealing glances, the way Quinn looked so effortlessly, put together in jeans and a black shirt, collar open just enough to make Avery want to lean over and kiss her.
When they climbed the station steps and emerged onto the cool street, Velvet’s neon sign glowed a soft purple at the corner, understated and familiar.
Quinn reached over and took her hand, threading their fingers together as they walked the last block. “Is this okay?” she asked softly.
Avery looked up at her and smiled. “Yeah. It is.”
They paused just outside the entrance, the bass pulsing faintly through the brick wall.
“If you want to leave,” Avery said, turning toward her, “you just tell me. We’ll go back to my place.”
Quinn nodded. “Sounds good.”
“They might be a lot,” Avery warned. “I’m sorry in advance.”
Quinn laughed, shaking her head. “You’re nervous, aren’t you?”
Avery shrugged, trying to look casual. “I just don’t want to scare you away.”
Quinn leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, soft and sure. “They’re not going to scare me away.” She smiled, a spark of mischief in her eyes. “Come on, let’s go.”
Inside, the music was loud but not overwhelming, pulsing in warm, familiar rhythms. The air smelled faintly of citrus, spilled beer, and perfume.
Colored lights flashed lazily across the dance floor, where clusters of women in their thirties and forties swayed, laughed, and sang along to early 2000s hits.
A few gay men were scattered through the crowd, but it was mostly women—older, confident, carefree.
Avery smiled as she took it in. God, she loved this place. It was fun without being chaotic. Flirty without being messy. Just joy.
She spotted her friends in a booth near the back, half-hidden by a glowing column of light. Natalie waved them over, already grinning.
Avery squeezed Quinn’s hand once before leading them toward the booth. “Hey, guys,” she said as they approached. “This is Quinn. Quinn, this is Natalie, Gabby, and Andrea.”
The greetings came easily—smiles, polite hellos, and teasing grins from Andrea, who clearly had a head start on the drinks and was already buzzing.
“Hi,” Quinn said smoothly as she stepped forward. She shook Natalie’s hand first, her grip steady. “Congratulations on the promotion,” she added, meeting her eyes. “Avery mentioned it. That’s a big deal.”
Natalie blinked, pleasantly surprised. “Oh,” she said, breaking into a wider smile. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
“It’s well earned,” Quinn replied evenly. “You don’t get promoted without doing something right.”
Gabby let out a low laugh. “Okay,” she said, nudging Natalie. “Look at you, getting corporate validation.”
Avery felt something in her chest ease at how naturally Quinn handled it, how she made Natalie feel seen without making it performative.
“You look familiar,” Andrea said, leaning forward with narrowed eyes. “You were at that Women in Tech summit, right?”
“Probably,” Quinn replied with an easy smile. “I speak at those occasionally.”
“Yeah, she runs them,” Gabby added with a grin. “Don’t let her undersell it.”
Quinn gave a modest shrug. “I just facilitate,” she said lightly.
Natalie slid over in the booth to make room. “Well,” she said, gesturing to the empty space, “anyone who congratulates me before ordering a drink is already off to a strong start.”
Avery laughed and slid in beside Quinn, their knees brushing under the table. “See?” she murmured quietly. “You’re a natural.”
Quinn leaned closer so only Avery could hear her over the music. “I prepare,” she said calmly, though her thumb brushed lightly against Avery’s thigh beneath the table.
Avery leaned in close. “What do you want to drink?”
“Tequila,” Quinn said immediately. “Tequila old fashioned.”
Avery’s mouth curved, remembering that night in the hotel when Quinn told her what tequila does to her. “Dangerous choice.”
Quinn’s lips twitched. “You remembered.”
“Oh, I definitely remembered.”
Gabby slid out of the booth to join her. “I’ll come with.”
As they weaved through the crowd toward the bar, Avery glanced back. Quinn was already chatting with Natalie, laughing at something Andrea said. The sight made her heart squeeze, Quinn, relaxed and smiling, completely at ease in a place she had barely set foot in before.
Avery sighed. “I think I just fed her to the sharks.”
Gabby laughed. “Please. She’s the apex predator here. They’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know,” Avery said, laughing. “They’re a handful.”
“Tell me everything,” Gabby said as they reached the bar. “You didn’t come into work yesterday, which means something happened.”
Avery ordered the drinks a tequila old fashioned for Quinn, a gin spritz for herself and leaned against the counter. “She stayed over. We spent the day together. It was…good.”
Gabby grinned. “Good, like good?”
“Yeah. Like really good.” Avery smiled, looking down at the bar. “We talked about trying to see where this goes. I don’t know how it’ll work, I mean she’s in L.A. and I’m here—not to mention she’s trying to buy my fucking company—but I really like her.” Avery sighed.
Gabby squeezed her arm. “I’m really happy for you, Av. You deserve this. Just let yourself have it.”
Avery nodded, biting back a smile. “Yeah. I’m trying.”
They brought the drinks back to the booth, where Quinn was in the middle of telling Natalie and Andrea a story about her first disastrous startup pitch. Gabby immediately sliding back in beside Natalie with a knowing grin.
Avery handed Quinn her drink. “Here you go.”
“Thank you,” Quinn said, taking a sip slow and deliberate. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of Avery’s head, her hand brushing lightly against her back. “Perfect.”
Avery froze for half a second, butterflies bursting in her stomach. She looked up, catching Quinn’s faint, content smile.
“Okay,” Andrea said, slamming her glass on the table as Yeah by Usher started playing. “If this doesn’t get you on the dance floor, nothing will.”
Gabby grinned. “Come on, Av. It’s tradition.”
Avery turned to Quinn, grinning. “We have to dance.”
Quinn groaned under her breath but was already sliding out of the booth. “You already know I’m not much of a dancer from the night we met.”
“Good thing I am,” Avery said, grabbing her hand.
The lights shifted as they stepped onto the dance floor—purple and gold flickering through the crowd. Avery turned, looping her arms around Quinn’s neck as the music pulsed around them. Quinn’s hands found her waist instantly, steady and warm.
“See?” Avery said, smiling up at her. “You’re doing great.”
Quinn’s mouth curved, eyes dark and amused. “You’re impossible.”
Avery leaned in closer, her lips brushing Quinn’s ear. “You love it.”
And when Quinn laughed it was unguarded and Avery realized she was right.
The bass thumped through the floor, vibrating through every inch of her. Avery smiled, eyes catching the flicker of light across Quinn’s face—that mix of amusement and restraint that made her impossibly hot.
She swayed closer, letting the rhythm move through her body, her hips rolling in time with the beat.
Quinn’s hands slid instinctively from their place on Avery’s waist, lower, settling on her hips.
Her touch was firm, grounding, but Avery could feel the tension in her fingertips.
The faintest tremor that said she was trying not to lose control.
Avery tilted her head back, lips brushing Quinn’s ear instead of the lyrics. “If you keep touching me like that,” she murmured, voice slow and sultry, “I’m not responsible for what happens next.”
Quinn let out a quiet breath that sounded dangerously close to a groan, her grip tightening just enough to pull Avery flush against her.
It made Avery smirk, getting the response she was hoping for. “You’re doing fine for someone who ‘doesn’t dance,’” Avery said, smiling up at her.
Quinn’s mouth brushed her ear as she leaned down to be heard over the music. “You’re doing enough for both of us.”
Avery grinned, turning in Quinn’s arms so her back pressed against Quinn’s chest. She rolled her hips in a slow, deliberate rhythm, grinding lightly against her. Quinn’s breath hitched. Just a small sound, but Avery caught it.
She reached up, looping one arm around Quinn’s neck, guiding her closer. Quinn went willingly, her body fitting perfectly against Avery’s as they moved together, the crowd fading into nothing.
Avery tipped her head slightly, lips grazing Quinn’s jaw. “You look good when you’re trying not to lose control,” she whispered.
Quinn laughed again—low, unguarded—her lips brushing Avery’s hair. “God, you’re trouble,” she murmured.
Avery smiled, glancing back over her shoulder. “You like it.”
“I never said I didn’t,” Quinn said, her voice barely audible, her hands tightening just slightly on Avery’s hips.
They moved that way, laughing, swaying and teasing until the music shifted again, the bass deeper, heavier. The energy in the room pulsed around them.
Avery turned in Quinn’s arms, bodies flush, breath mingling. She moved like she couldn’t help it, hips rolling, hair falling loose from where she’d tucked it behind her ear.
Quinn’s hands gripped her hips, guiding her into the rhythm. The air between them changed. It was thicker now, charged. Avery looked up through her lashes, the light catching the sharp edge of Quinn’s jaw.
“Still think you can’t dance?” she teased, breathless.
Quinn’s lips curved in that half-smile that always warned Avery she was about to be wrecked. “I said I don’t dance,” she murmured, voice low enough to disappear into the music. “Doesn’t mean I can’t move when I want to.”
Then she leaned down and kissed her.