Annalise sighed and sat at the bar she was supposed to meet her date at, cradling a small cup of water. The guy she matched with on Tinder didn't seem so bad and they had some nice conversation. She did confirm that she was looking for fun without the strings attached, as much as she didn't want to say it, scratching an itch if she was honest with herself. He was ten minutes late so far, which wasn't looking promising at all. She figured she could give him another ten before leaving.
Her date had arrived around five minutes ago, he was just checking her out from afar to make sure she was the same as her profile pic and dayum was she the real deal! So tiny, yet he knew she would be able to handle him just fine. He brought his buddies just in case, whispering, “Yeah that's her. Nope, I think I can handle her tiny little a** all by myself. Don't even know if Imma fit to be honest, might break her.” He laughed with his friends, very excited he signed up for this particular one night stand. But if he had his way, it might be more than one night in this case.
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Quinn had been at the bar when Annalise had come in, he had been talking with some staff from his company. It was something he did quite often honestly since it meant he always knew what was going on ‘below deck’ as it were. Besides, half the people he was there with had no clue who he was other than another employee in a different part of the building, the other half knew him well enough not to give a crap. Anyway, he honestly didn’t pay too much attention to the bar crowd until a disgusted scoff from one of the ladies he was with had him raise a brow in question. She quickly explained, which had him frowning and trying to see who the ‘boy that gave men a bad name’ was talking about. That was when he saw the guy saunter up to Annalise. This time both brows rose, she was either going to deck him or the a** was going to make the poor woman sick. Neither were good.
But still… Maybe she wanted to deal with the ‘Chad’. And yet he still found himself excusing himself from his group and sliding up to the bar behind the ‘I think with my d**k’ and raised a questioning brow to Annalise, glancing between the guy and her, silently asking if she wanted assistance. If she didn’t, no harm no foul. He would get a drink and head back to his table. If she did… well Chad was about to learn how a man really treats a lady.
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When “Chad” made his way towards Anna, she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Sure his face looked the same as his picture, but he was not as tall as he said he was. In fact, he was shorter than her which was one of the things that did not like when looking for fun. He gave her a shy wave, hopping onto the bar with ease, “Annalise? My name is Ethan, I'm sorry for arriving late, traffic and all.” She raised an eyebrow, looking down at the hand that was now truing to rub soothing circles on her thigh. Taking a deep breath, she gave him a tight smile, “I'm sorry, who are you?” It didn't take her long to notice Quinn, thanking her lucky stars, “I don't think I was expecting an Ethan, unless you spell it with a Q?”
She took the time to politely remove his hand from her thigh, “I would appreciate it if you don't touch me without my permission, Ethan.” Her date looked livid, opening his mouth to insert his foot into it, “My name is Ethan. We matched on Tinder, we agreed to meet her for some “adult fun” as you put it in your phone.” At her wince, he gritted his teeth, “What?! Is it because of my height?! Honey I guarantee you that won't matter in a few minutes here.” He licked his lips, causing Anna’s lip to rise in a sneer. Ugh! This was why she did not do things like this!!!
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Quinn nearly snorted when she said she was waiting for someone who’s name started with a Q. No more need to guess if she needed rescue. Honestly, considering what this Ethan was spewing out, Quinn might have stepped in regardless. Instead he clearly cleared his throat, “Pardon me, you're bothering my date.” He remained standing behind the sitting man, not touching him but more or less looming over him. “I would appreciate it if you rejoined your friends from earlier,” a tilt of his head in the direction of the others that Ethan had been chatting with. “After all, the lady has already informed you that she was waiting for me, Quinn… you know, with a Q.”
With a bright smile he looked at Annalise, “Hi Anna. Thank you for waiting for me. I hope this… gentleman,” Now that word was putting it lightly, “wasn’t bothering you too bad. Here, let me get us a private booth. That way we can enjoy our date without any interruptions.” Any derisive chatter from Ethan was quickly squashed when Quinn flagged down the bartender and presented a black card while asking for one of the few private cubicles that could be ‘reserved’ for a pretty penny.
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Anna almost laughed at the look on Ethan’s face, “My name is not Annalise, just Anna, I'm sorry I'm not who you thought I was.” She smiled at Quinn next, “Not at all.” She stood up from her stool, Blinking and raising an eyebrow at what she knows is the infamous black card. These are only given out rarely and usually to the wealthiest of the wealthy. Once they were shown to the booth, she sat down with a curious raise of her eyebrow, taking a sip of her water. She wasn't going to outright ask just who he actually was, but an explanation would be nice.
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Quinn offered her his arm and escorted her to the booth that they were shown to. He had seen the brow and knew that a conversation was needed. He had learned the hard way from both ends of the spectrum, and he liked to believe that he had grown better at reading people. Becoming a better judge of character and all that. The man thanked the staff who had guided them, asking them to give them a moment to decide on drinks. “I know I have to explain, but let's enjoy ourselves at least a little ok?” He asked Annalise. “We are on a date after all.” He tried to smile charmingly but it was more or less a sheepish smile.
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Anna frowned slightly, but nodded, still wondering and maybe just a tad annoyed. Maybe he was just an heir or something, using their parents card? Either way she did not like being lied to or at least having vital information withheld from her. It wasn't like she hasn't dealt with the wealthy elite before, it would just be nice to have a heads up. The staff came by to see what they would order, Anna ordered a simple fruity drink, checking her phone to make sure she had a couple hundred in her account to cover her half. Taking a sip of her drink, she looked to Quinn for some answers.
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Quinn ordered a glass of alcohol free wine and when it came he mostly just fiddled with the glass. “Sooooo…. Honestly I haven’t been on a date in years.” He grimaced and took a sip of the expensive fruit juice. “But I recognize that I owe you an explanation. In that vein,” He took a deep breath and then stuck his hand out in a greeting, “Hi, I’m Arthur Quinton but everyone just calls me Quinn. My dad’s Arthur. I’m the CEO of my family’s electronic’s business. I’m several years sober, a workaholic that has an assistant that regularly has to scold me to leave on time, not seeing anyone, never married, and the closest I’ve wanted to drink in the last two years was when I found out that I had a kid I never knew about. Boy howdy let me tell you, that one really threw me for a loop.” The man took another swallow of his drink before ticking off his points on his fingers. Making sure he got everything.
When he got to the last one he added, “Oh yes. I want to make it very, very clear that other than passing your card on to the branch you're working with I’ve had nothing to do with it. The work you're doing now, with the company, is all on your merit. Your skill and eye for design is why they went with your store. I think that's everything. Are there any questions I can answer?”
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Anna blinked rather slowly at all that information at once.
It was….Admittedly, alot.
But at least that covered everything she supposed.
Shaking Quinn’s had in a firm but not too firm grip Anna took a sip of her drink. She recognized that name, which made her sigh just a small bit. “Hello Quinn, you know my name, my company was founded through my grandmother Denise. Allure is the name. Congratulations on being sober for several years, I too am a workaholic with no assistant though. I…..I don't have kids, I came close but plans fell through. I would like some one day.” Not sure why she said that but if they were sharing then she might as well let that be known. “Thank you for the honesty Quinn, I appreciate it. No questions just….Since this is our first date, full transparency would be nice.” she tapped her chin, “ I haven't been on a date since I was sixteen.” She looked away, slightly embarrassed, “So there is that.” She took a sip of her drink, not disclosing the actual reason why she was out here in the first place, especially to the CEO of a company as well known as Quinns.
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Quinn nodded at the congrats, honestly the few months he spent almost completely drunk were a haze. While he wouldn’t categorize himself as an alcoholic he didn’t want to slip back into that hell so he just avoided it. It was safer that way. “Sorry, I know that full transparency is the best policy. I’ll do my best from here on out. I wasn’t supposed to go to that function the other night, it was one of the other managers that should have been there but his wife went into labor so I got tossed into the role. For stuff like that I do my best to stick to the background and try not to stand out since people can be really pushy when they smell investment opportunities.” He shrugged even as he explained why he hadn’t exactly introduced himself ‘properly’ the first time they met.
“Sixteen? Really?” He was quite shocked at that, “I mean, but you're beautiful! I know it's a personal preference but if it's because of the male population then I sincerely apologize. We can be real jerks sometimes.” He fiddled with his glass before finishing off the fancy juice. “Um, so I have been on a few random dates here and there but my last real relationship was a few years ago. It just didn’t work out… the one before that. Well, that breakup is why I don’t drink anymore… and why I have a son.” He made a ‘crap’ face and glanced away even as he absently messed up his hair by running his hand through it. “That's probably too much information but,” He shrugged slightly, “Full disclosure and all that.” He really sucked at this ‘dating’ thing.
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Anna actually laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. “You're fine. This is something I asked for after all.” looking down, she studied her drink, “Things just never work out. Most guys I tried to date don't really like the independence thing. That and I'm not one for giving personal information right away, unless the situation calls for it.” She looked at him pointedly, “And, since I asked for transparency, I…..While I want to thank you for coming in to pull me out of that situation, he was correct.” She looked down at her drink then, clearing her throat, “I was looking for a…erm…..fling of sorts.” No she wasn't expecting Quinn to take up that offer, but she did want to make sure she was just as honest as he was.
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“Oh. OH, um…ah…hmmmm.” It had taken him a second before her comments about the wannabe chad to actually make sense to him. “Understandable. It’s… um, perfectly natural.” How did one not make such a situation even more abnormal? “You wouldn’t be the first, and not the last. Tinder is a huge company afterall. As for the whole independence thing,” He shrugged and smiled, “I seem to have a thing for women who can think for themselves.” Quinn wasn’t exactly looking for a fling, and mixing business with pleasure wasn’t a good idea, but he did kind of ruin her actual ‘date’.
“I’ll tell you what, I can’t promise that I can replace Chad… Ethan? Whatever his name was, but I can at least show you a fun time tonight.” He slid out of the booth and came to a stop on her side of the table, his hand outstretched once more. “Would you like to dance?” The bar wasn’t exactly a club but it did have some slow and mellow music playing, and a small space that one could consider a dance floor.
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Anna laughed once more, shaking her head, “Perfectly natural indeed.” she raised an eyebrow at that last bit, “Oh? Care to elaborate Mr. Quinn?” She gladly took his hand, thanking whatever god was up there that this was not a nightclub. She wasn't entirely sure Quinn would be able to handle something like that. “Sure, lead the way.”
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He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as he guided her to the small dancefloor. “Well, just that. You are beautiful, smart, driven, and independent. What man wouldn’t be drawn to you?” It also didn’t hurt that he really did have a type of smart and independent women who don’t hold him at fault when he gets absorbed into meetings or work. Someone who can work alongside of him and not need his attention every second of every day.
Once on the dance floor he guided her out into a bit of a sweeping motion before pulling her into a traditional hold, his hands leading her gently from her hips and the small of her back. They weren’t waltzing but they were moving to the music. “I don’t think I mentioned how gorgeous you look tonight. You really are way outside of that man’s league. It’s a shame he didn’t want to treat you like the beautiful woman you are.” He grinned, leaned a bit closer and murmured in her ear. “I’m glad he is though, since it gave me a shot.”
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The small giggle had a hit of embarrassment to it.
Sure, she knew she was pretty, it wasn't something she often tried to make people aware of though, wanting most to see past her looks in that aspect. She spun gracefully when they made it out to the dancefloor, following his lead for the waltz, her hand resting on his shoulders while they moved. It really truly was a shame, but having Quinn there instead seemed like a boon in her eyes, his murmur causing a small shudder to go through her. “O-Oh?” her eyes widened slightly, worrying her lip just a tad. “You could’ve asked Mr. Quinn…” Her voice had dipped slightly lower unconsciously, looking up at the man through her lashes. “There is practically no way I would've said no.” If she was honest, Quinn was quite handsome in that almost cowboy kind of way.
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Granted he wasn't from the south, or at least that's what she was assuming, but he looked like he would work well out there on a ranch. Having a good head on his shoulders was also a tick in her mental box.
“You can always say no, I will respect that. That is your prerogative.” He had leaned back ever so slightly so he was looking at her square in the face. Quinn wanted to make sure she knew that he would respect her boundaries, if she wanted to stop, all she had to say was ‘stop’. “Consent is the single most important thing between two people… it’s also the sexiest.” He hummed before inching back in. “Here, let me show you.” He dipped close to her ear once more and asked quietly, “Can I kiss you?”
On that she could definitely agree.
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If this man did not stop whispering in her ear!
Anna took a deep breath and closed her eyes to suppress yet another shudder from taking over. Once she was calm enough, she looked back to him with heavy lidded eyes, “Yes.” Instead of waiting, she took initiative, bringing her plush lip to his while wrapping her arms around his neck.
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Quinn happily participated in the kiss, relocating one hand to cradle the back of her head. After a moment the need to breathe had him separating for a moment before trailing a few kisses along her jaw and nibbling on the shell of her ear before dropping down to her neck. “See… getting your partner to,” his tongue flicked out slightly, dampening her skin ever so lightly, “to agree even as you worship their body,” he placed a kiss on the pulse at her neck even as he urged her ever so closer, “can make even heaven blush.” He was a grown male, with a willing female in his arms… let's just say his pants were a bit tight and if she was any closer she would feel that. As it was, his body heat likely spiked by several degrees.
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Anna had to keep from whimpering out there on the floor, pressing herself closer to him unconsciously. Something in the back of her brain was nicking at her to at least be an adult and say something before letting this go any further. Embarrassed that her voice was slightly breathy, Anna pulled away from Quinn just enough to look him in the eye. “We n-need to t-talk about something first.” She closed her eyes to get her bearings. Clearly it's been too long if something like a heated kiss caused her lacy underwear to become damp. “If we do this…It does not affect our business, it needs to be kept separate.” She cupped his cheek in her hand, “I am business first Mr. Quinn. If this is something that works for you then…” She leaned in to whisper in his ear, “I expect more than just blushing.”
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He almost groaned when Annalise pulled away, but he just took a deep breath, since consent wasn’t always just verbal. A brow went up in surprise when what he thought was her withdrawing her consent was something quite different. With a pleased sigh he leaned into her hand cupping his cheek, “ I swear to you that other than the one time errand boy I’ve got no connection to the wider scheme of the business deal. I really am just a paper pusher,” He turned his head to place a kiss on her palm, “And if anything changes you will be the first to know.”
Quinn’s grin was probably a bit more masculine pride then it should have been but he hid it by nipping at her ear. “Just say the word and I will do my damndest to make you scream out my name in pleasure.”
Fiction1119
