Catching Avery

Chapter 11

 Lust: Because they looked like they were able to get the job done...and then some.

Avery~

The Shack was the epitome of old town San Jose. It wasn't fancy, the beers didn't cost ten dollars a bottle, and it had become Quinn's stomping ground since she'd been old enough to drink.

Four years ago, I had moved here from Ione when I couldn't take small town living anymore, and Izzy had moved here about three years ago when the company that she worked for had offered her a better position. She'd been promoted to senior marketing analyst for Willshire Marketing, but the position had come with a transfer to San Jose. So, since we were transplants, we had let Quinn take the reins whenever we'd started hanging out together. Plus, once Quinn had found out that Isabella loved karaoke as much as she did, The Shack rituals had been born.

Like good hostesses, Q, Izzy, and I had made it here before any of the co-workers that we'd invited. For a guaranteed good time, it was paramount that we got the table closest to Flip-karaoke DJ extraordinaire-because Q and Iz had a serious karaoke problem. For two chicks that couldn't carry a tune, they sure spent a lot of time on the mic. Full disclosure, I was also a bit addicted to it myself. Karaoke was fun as hell.

Quinn plopped down in her chair as she placed two buckets of beers in the middle of the table. I was assuming that the second one was for when everyone else showed up. Still, you never could be too sure with Quinn. The woman could put a whole ship of returning sailors to shame if she was on a tear, and I could see Chase's interest in her prompting a second bucket.

"Not that I'm against making new friends and all, but why did you guys invite your co-workers?" Iz asked.

I tipped my already opened beer at Q. "Ask her. This is her circus act, not mine."

"Oh, c'mon," Quinn drawled out, reaching for a beer. "I just thought with the firing of Boris and Natasha that it would be a good morale booster."

"Alright, but if they turn out to be serious, mature, responsible adults, I'm leaving," Iz announced. "I didn't come out tonight to be serious in the least."

"I'll be right behind you, Iz."

Quinn gave me that look.

The look that you got when someone was about to get real on you.

"Really, Ace? Because you're all about seriousness, right?"

Isabella started bouncing up and down in her seat like a loon, then slapped her hand down on the table in front of me. "That's right," she squealed. "Q called me and told me that Nicholas had you in the conference room, doing unspeakable things to your body. Spill, chickaroo."

This was the part where a respectable, reserved, mature woman would inform these two hoebags that sex was something private. However, there were no respectable, reserved, mature women sitting at our table just yet.

"You show me yours, and I'll show you mine," I offered.

Iz looked over at Quinn for some clarification. "Don't look at me. I don't have anything to show," Q harrumphed, and that depressing thought had her downing her beer.

Iz looked back over at me. "Meaning?"

"Oh, please," I snorted. "You haven't shared any details about Julian, and that sonofabitch has dimples. Still, you want me to give up the goods about Nicholas?"

"She's got you there, Iz," Quinn cackled like a witch. "And we really, really, really want to know about Julian."

Isabella narrowed her eyes at us. "The best I've ever had and probably will ever have. There. Are you guys happy?"