Disclaimers: See Chapter One If you have good or bad things to say feel free to email me at henleyac@yahoo.com.
Chapter Three
Quin pressed Vivian against the backstage wall. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She hissed, pulling the coat closed while trying to hide the blonde's practically naked body.
Vivian swatted Quin's hands away from the front of the coat. "I'm looking for you!" She retorted angrily. "I've been looking for you for the last eight fucking days!" She spat as she turned and stalked toward the dressing room.
Quin's head thumped the wall as she leaned forward. Crap, crap, crap, The PI thought as she turned her head in the direction her lover had disappeared. She sighed and stood straight. "Crap!" She stomped her feet, jumping up and down. "CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!" She knew she was in trouble. She knew it before she headed out on this little adventure eight days ago. There really was no way to avoid it. She settled down and twitched her clothes back into place following her little tirade. Quin paced back and forth in the narrow hall a few times before stopping and shaking her head. She needed to explain herself. It was simple. She needed to walk down the hall, find Vivian, and explain. It was a solid plan.
Vivian had stripped off the rest of her skimpy outfit and was putting on her street clothes. The seven other women in the room were huddled together well out of the blonde's way. The former detective tucked a white t-shirt into her jeans and pulled on a black cable knit sweater. She knew instinctively when Quin had entered the room, angrily picking up the discarded coat and flinging it at the brunette. Vivian stormed past the PI, yanking on her gloves as she hurried out.
"Crap! Vivian! Wait!" Quin called as she followed the blonde down the hall and out the club's backstage exit. The cold air stole her breath away as she quickly pulled on her coat.
Vivian trudged onwards, her feet slipping on the icy pavement in the alley as she stomped toward the street. She could hear Quin behind her but had no interest in stopping to let the PI catch up.
Quin cursed the ice as she slipped around the corner. She was unable to keep her feet under her as she hit the slick sidewalk and ended up in a snow bank at the curb. "Fuck!" She struggled to gain her feet only to sink deeper into the snow.
Vivian turned just in time to see the brunette slide, then crash, into the heap of snow at the curb. She tried to keep walking but her heart refused to let her. She turned around and carefully made her way back to where Quin was flailing her arms and legs, attempting to free herself. Vivian couldn't hold back a chuckle at the sight, and was still giggling as she reached to haul the PI out.
Quin was grateful to one word whomever had taken pity on her. Her feet finally found traction on the slippery sidewalk and she began to brush the snow from her body. She yelped when a sharp pinch was applied to her rear.
"Serves you right, Quin McKee." Vivian whispered in the brunette's ear as she brushed off the clinging clumps of snow from the top of Quin's head.
Quin's head dropped. "I'm sorry, Viv."
"You certainly are." Vivian looked up and down the street. It was practically deserted, and the businesses all seemed closed. She looked back toward the club. At least it would be warm in there and maybe Quin could dry off a bit. "Come on." She grabbed the PI's arm and led her back to the club.
The bouncer at the door shook his head at the two women, indicating no entrance. Vivian reached under the back of Quin's coat and retrieved the .45 that rested there. She pulled the gun out and pointed it at the surprised man. "I'm having a bad week, buddy."
Raising his hands in placation he moved aside to allow them in. "I sincerely hope it gets better, miss." He muttered as the two women passed him.
Vivian didn't even try to contain the smile that blossomed on her lips, "Thanks." She lowered the gun, " And Sorry." she apologized to the man as she handed the gun to Quin and proceeded into the club where it was much warmer.
Quin shrugged at the door man. "She sometimes gets cranky." She fumbled with her .45 as she returned it to its place at her back.
"I understand." The man nodded, turning back to his station.
Quin pulled off her coat and shook the wet snow off and out of it. She stepped into the club and did a quick scan looking for Vivian. The blonde was at the bar chatting with the rather busty bartender. Still looking, Quin then found the table where she had been sitting with four of Chicago 's most notorious gang leaders. The three men and one woman were still seated, drinking and enjoying the. Quin relaxed a little realizing that maybe all hadn't been lost. She strolled over to the bar and took the stool next to Vivian.
Vivian smiled and thanked the bartender for her whiskey. She gulped the double in one swift motion, relishing the burn of the amber liquid as it traveled to her stomach. That'll warm me up! She thought as she motioned for another.
"Don't you think one is enough?" Quin asked as she reached over the bar and snagged a towel off a fresh stack. She ruffled her wet hair with it until it was soaked, then grabbed another and dried behind her ears and neck.
"I'm not speaking to you." Vivian muttered as she smiled sweetly at the buxom blonde behind the bar. She threw in a wink this time as she downed her second whiskey.
Quin frowned, "If you would let me explain…"
Vivian looked toward her lover, silently waiting.
"I couldn't tell you and I couldn't ask you to come with me. I have already broken the law a good dozen and a half times, and I won't ask you to put yourself in that position." Quin said seriously.
Vivian's eyebrow rose but she remained silent.
"It's complicated, Vivian."
Vivian raised her glass and was rewarded with another shot. This one she sipped, letting the whiskey roll around her tongue. She could taste the smoky oak that was used to age the alcohol. She closed her eyes in appreciation and finally let the liquid slip down her throat. She set the glass down on the bar with a thud. "I'll tell you what…" She turned to face her lover, "Why don't you let me decide for myself what is within my ethical and moral parameters. "Take this for example." She motioned toward the catwalk, where a skinny redhead was working one of the three brass poles on the stage. "I'd say me getting up in front of a room full of men and taking my clothes off, just so I could finally get close to you, is beyond my personal moral limits." Vivian slid off her bar stool, the whiskey making her head spin as she stood between Quin's legs. "You have no earthly idea what I have been through the last eight days, Quinlan McKee. I have lied, stolen, threatened, even beaten people to find you. So don't tell me you up and left to protect me, because it didn't do an ounce of good." She leaned forward and placed a wet kiss on Quin's lips. "I'm not as innocent as I seem, McKee." Vivian licked her lips and turned back to her drink.
Quin raked her face with her hand and muttered, "Crap." She looked over her shoulder at the table she had abandoned. There was work to be done. She looked back at the former detective. Would Vivian really be able to handle what Quin had in mind? If what the blonde said was true and she survived eight days on the streets of Chicago looking for her, and eventually finding her, perhaps Vivian Walsh would be an asset to her scheme. "Okay." Quin sighed.
Vivian turned quickly back to Quin, her head spinning at the sudden change of direction. She steadied her head as she asked, "Okay what?"
"Okay, I would like you to work with me on this."
Vivian narrowed her eyes at the PI. "Equal partners? As in I know what you know? No secrets? No running off in the middle of the friggin' night?"
Quin nodded, "Equals. What I know you know. If I run off in the middle of the friggin' night, I'll take you with me."
Vivian sat back, ."I want a gun."
"You don't have a license."
Vivian folded her arms over her chest. "I bet you know how to get me both."
Quin raked her face again. "Fine" She growled. She looked back over her shoulder at the table. "I have some people I want you to meet."
Nine Days Earlier
Vivian was roused from sleep by the pleasant sensation of an orgasm. Her body jumped and twitched as the ripples of pleasure receded. She thought she had been dreaming but found it to be reality as Quin pressed her lips to hers and she tasted herself there. "No fair." She mumbled sleepily.
Quin smiled against her cheek. "I couldn't help myself."
Vivian rolled the PI onto her back and straddled her. Her still damp center pressed against Quin's muscled abdomen. She slowly ground against those firm muscles, causing the brunette to moan.
Quin grabbed Vivian's hips and held her still. "I'll wake you next time. I promise."
Vivian smiled as she slid to lie on top of her lover. She nudged Quin's legs apart . Pressing her belly against Quin's mound. The PI moaned and widened her legs to give the blonde more working space. Quin was nearly there when someone knocked at their door.
"You girls had enough of that last night. Breakfast is ready."
Quin's grandmother's voice sliced through the pleasurable haze of both women, causing Vivian to break down giggling and Quin to growl. Vivian rolled off the brunette.
"Now that's not fair." Quin complained, sitting up.
"Well if you weren't so loud…"
"Me? You should have heard the racket you made while you were asleep!" Quin tossed a pillow at the rising blonde.
"Hmm, well I wouldn't know now, because I was ASLEEP!" Vivian retorted tossing the pillow back and hitting the brunette in the face. "Come on, we're both sweaty and need to shower before we face your Grandmother."
"Why?" Quin grumbled as she sat on the side of the bed. "Not like Grams doesn't know what we've been doing."
Vivian rolled her eyes. "You are a pain in the ass, McKee." She walked around the bed and tugged on her lover, "Come on. We'll shower together. Maybe I'll even things up." She winked.
Quin's eyebrows rose and she smiled as she let herself be led out the door and across the hall to the bathroom.
Mary McKee shook her head, smiling to herself as she listened to her granddaughter and her new love giggling like schoolgirls in the bathroom. She had thought it would be awkward to meet and accept this new woman in Quin's life. Her mind was set at rest when she first laid eyes on the woman. There was no doubting the look of love that Vivian Walsh bestowed on Quin.
Quin. Dear sweet Quin. Mary had thought she'd lost her for good when Grace was murdered. The girl had come home a wreck. She confessed to Mary her wish to end her life and how she had tried to carry out her plan. Mary had convinced the distraught woman to seek some professional help to cope with her grief. The six month commitment to a private hospital was probably the hardest thing Quin had done on her own. She worked through her anger and grief, and returned to Mary almost whole. There was a persistent sadness about her granddaughter after she returned, though, and Mary had tried repeatedly to break the barriers Quin had erected around her heart. Just when she was losing hope of Quin being happy again, along came Vivian Walsh.
Mary sighed as she set the kitchen table for breakfast. Vivian was a bit of a mystery. Sally Usher had provided some information, but Mary was quite certain that Quin's trusted assistant wasn't revealing all. The elderly McKee tilted her head as she heard the water finally shut off in the bathroom. Probably ran out the hot water! She chuckled to herself. Nope… Mary McKee would be doing her own snooping into Vivian Walsh.
Vivian and Quin dressed side by side. They nudged each other out of the way to get a clear view of the large oval mirror in Quin's room.
"I have to admit I was expecting some kind of mansion Quin, not some cozy little cottage." Vivian stated as she pulled a cream colored sweater over her head. Somehow Quin had arranged for a small wardrobe of clothing in Vivian's size to be delivered ahead of time to the small house.
"The big house is just up the road. I haven't lived there since I was fourteen." Quin worked up the spikes in her hair. It was a tedious operation but Quin always liked the look one it was accomplished. "Lived here in my grandparents' house until Grace and I moved to Los Angeles ."
Vivian looked at Quin's reflection in the mirror. "You stopped living with your parents when you were fourteen and never went back?"
"I would go visit." Quin paused. "Mostly my sister and younger brother. My parents have issues and so does my older brother. They really can't keep me out of the house since I own it, but I respect their rights to be assholes." Quin tweaked one more spike before turning to take in her lover. "Wow, you clean up nice."
Vivian spread her arms and looked down at her clothes. "Well, it does help that my girlfriend has impeccable taste in clothes."
Quin grinned as she stepped into Vivian's arms. "Well, it does help that you have a spectacular figure." She ran her hands over Vivian's curves. "Incredibly spectacular." She emphasized with a firm squeeze of the blonde's backside.
Vivian smirked. "Let's go eat, you letch." Quin smiled and took Vivian's hand and led her to the kitchen.
End part three