This is Quinn the researcher. God, she’s beautiful doing what she loves.
“There are a couple new techs training today and we’re working out a modified protocol for one of our studies,” Quinn said. “I’m going in the scanner. I like to experience what the participants do at least once for each new protocol. I’ll get you set up by the monitors so you can see what’s happening in real time. Remember how I told you the brain was beautiful in an fMRI?”
Lola nodded. She already thought Quinn’s brain was pretty amazing. All of the high tech equipment surrounding them was astonishing. Max would probably understand it, but she was at a loss. She saw computers and medical devices, and in a sterile room a giant tube with a table in the middle.
“Is that the scanner?” Lola asked.
“Yes. It uses magnetic fields to take a series of two-dimensional pictures of the organ we are imaging, the brain in this case, and when put together, they form the three-dimensional whole.”
Lola followed Quinn into the control room where a bank of monitors were set up. They were blank at the moment. She sat in the chair Quinn indicated at the back of the small room.
“And what’s an fMRI?”
“Ah, those measure neural activity in real time. That’s what you’re going to get to see. The scanner picks up changes in blood flow. Think about your muscles when you’re working out. You need more blood to lift whatever heavy thing gets you looking like this.” Quinn indicated Lola’s body. “Same principle. When you are using a specific part of your brain, more blood is needed for those neurons to fire. The fMRI sees that blood flow happening.”
“You’re amazing, you know that, right?” Lola said.
“Nothing I’ve said is all that amazing,” Quinn said.
“Agree to disagree,” Lola said. “Now, everyone looks like they’re waiting for you. Go squeeze yourself into that sardine can. I’ll be here watching.”
The next few hours were technical and filled with neuroimaging procedure, but Lola found it engrossing. When Quinn wasn’t in the scanner, she was directing the small group of people working all around her. Even when she was in the machine, she was present in the control room through the microphone allowing communication between the technician and the patient.
After the last scans, Quinn found Lola. She was carrying a large sheet of glossy paper with a series of brain images on it.
“These are for you,” Quinn said. “They’re from the scans today.”
“So they’re your brain?” Lola asked. She studied the brain images. Quinn was right; they were incredible. The brain structures were grayscale, but the areas of neural activity, or increased blood flow, were red, orange, and yellow.
“Yes. It sounds a little weird when I think of it like that. I just thought you might like to have some pictures to remember our date.”
“You were right,” Lola said. “What were you thinking about right here?”
Lola was surprised when Quinn blushed.
“You,” she said quietly.
“Well, then, these are definitely going on the wall,” Lola said. She puffed out her chest.
That elicited the desired mock exasperated reaction from Quinn.
“What part of the brain is this that’s all lit up?” Lola asked.
“You’re taking my Intro to Neuroscience class,” Quinn said. “You’ll have to figure that out on your own.”
“I’m a very good student,” Lola said. “So you know I will. But not today. I have other more important things to do. Like part two of this date. Are you up for an extension?”
“I don’t know. I’m pretty busy. What did you have in mind?” Quinn asked.
Quinn was obviously teasing, but Lola played along.
“Well, Dr. Golden, what I had in mind was a ride on my bike to the beach. Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle?”
Quinn shook her head.
“Well, then, I also had in mind you having to hold on tight the entire ride.”
“Hmm. I guess I’d have to hold very tight to something big and strong the entire way to the beach, wouldn’t I?” Quinn asked. She traced her finger down Lola’s bicep.
“I suppose you would,” Lola said. She was doing her best not to pull Quinn into her arms and kiss her, but it was difficult. She had started a game she couldn’t win.
“Deal,” Quinn said. “But I pick the beach, and we stop when we get close and buy what we need for a picnic.”
“You drive a hard bargain. How will I ever accept?” Lola asked. This time she was the one who reached for Quinn’s hand and held it. Quinn looked up at her and gave her one of her heart melting smiles. Lola thought she’d be happy to walk all over LA if Quinn just kept looking at her like that.
Not good. You’ve got to tell her you’re leaving. First you’ve got to get it through your own thick head.
By the time they reached the beach, Lola wasn’t thinking all that clearly about anything except Quinn’s hands and the meandering paths she’d explored along Lola’s stomach, chest, thighs, and sides while they drove. It was distracting enough having her pressed tightly behind her, her entire front molded to Lola’s back, but Quinn seemed to have taken the idea of holding on tightly very seriously. Lola didn’t actually mind, but now she was turned on and uncomfortable right before they embarked on a hike down to the beach.
“The ride was incredible,” Quinn said. “Thanks for suggesting it.”
Quinn’s eyes were sparkling and her smile was just a little bit mischievous.
She knows exactly what she did to me and she likes it.
They made their way down from the parking lot to the beach a few hundred feet below. The path wasn’t particularly dangerous or slippery, but Quinn found plenty of excuses to require Lola’s assistance. Lola hardly minded. If she thought Quinn was playing the delicate woman in need of rescue, she would have been annoyed at the game, but Quinn was far from that. Quinn was clearly using every pebble as an excuse to get close to Lola, to touch her, and Lola didn’t mind that at all.
When they were on flat ground they kicked off their shoes and walked along the wet sand at the edge of the water holding hands. Lola carried their picnic, Quinn the blanket they’d grabbed from her office before they left. The beach was littered with beautiful rock formations and few other people.
“This is my favorite beach,” Quinn said. “The natural beauty and peacefulness make it nearly perfect.”
“I can see why you love it,” Lola said. She studied the ocean. It had a different feel than the Atlantic. Wilder, untamed. She liked it.
They spread the blanket and their picnic. Lola watched the waves crash against the rocks.
That’s how I feel lately, a wild energy constantly crashing against an immovable object. Maybe Holt’s right. Maybe it’s time for a change.
“Where did you go?” Quinn asked, running a hand through Lola’s hair, bringing her out of her wandering thoughts.
“Just thinking about an offer Holt, my sister, made to me recently. She wants me to think about going to college. It feels a little scary.”
“I think I’ve made it pretty clear I think you’re made for higher education, so my vote is to do it, if it’s what you want. What’s scaring you?”
“It’s just so different from anything I’ve ever done before,” Lola said. “And I’m old. Certainly compared to the kids I’d have classes with. And there’s no way I’m living in a dorm.”
She almost added that living next door to Dubs was close enough to dorm life for her, but she couldn’t tell Quinn that.
“I don’t like the idea of you living in the dorms either. Too many hot young women around.”
“Jealous?” Lola wasn’t opposed to the idea. Quinn moved to Lola and straddled her lap. Her lips were inches from Lola’s. “And if I were?”
“I wouldn’t hate the idea,” Lola said. She was amazed she could still manage coherent thoughts.
Quinn leaned closer and brought her lips to Lola’s. “Me either.”
> Lola pulled back.
“Quinn, wait. I have to tell you something.”
Quinn backed away but didn’t move off of Lola’s lap. She looked confused, a little hurt, but not angry. Lola was relieved.
“I’ve noticed all day something’s been bugging you,” Quinn said. “Hazard of my job is to collect data and make observations. I want you to be able to tell me anything, always. But I also really want to kiss you for a little bit right now, enjoy our picnic, walk on the beach holding your hand, and then take another magic motorcycle ride home before you walk me to my door for a good night kiss. If whatever you want to talk about can wait, can we have tonight?”
Lola hesitated only a moment before she pulled Quinn to her and kissed her. She didn’t know if it was the right decision, or fair to Quinn, but Lola wanted tonight too. Quinn fisted her hands in Lola’s hair and pulled her close. Lola traced her tongue along Quinn’s lower lip, seeking entrance.
She tried to pull Quinn closer, but Quinn put her hands on Lola’s chest and forced her down. The sand was cool against Lola’s back, even through the blanket. Quinn was hot against her front.
Quinn started kissing her again. It felt like she was everywhere. Lola didn’t know what to do with her hands. Quinn had said she only wanted to kiss her, but Lola was so turned on from the ride out to the beach, and Quinn on top of her, she didn’t trust herself. That didn’t stop her from kissing Quinn back. She wasn’t dead. Not yet.
“You can touch me, you know,” Quinn said. She ran a finger along Lola’s cheek and down her neck.
“Probably not the best idea right now,” Lola said. She clenched the blanket with both fists and lay still as Quinn traced farther down. “Your fault.”
“I’m not sorry that I can do this to you, but I really did just want to kiss you. In my defense, you’re the one who made me wrap my legs around you and find the best thing to hold on to, for safety of course, the whole way out here.”
Quinn rolled off of Lola but stayed in the circle of her arms. She rested her head on Lola’s chest. Lola wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed.
“Well, you certainly explored all your options,” Lola said. She kissed the top of Quinn’s head. “I almost drove us off the road.”
“I’m a scientist. I have to collect all the data before drawing conclusions. It would be irresponsible not to.”
“Were you like that as a kid?”
“Yes. But it wasn’t so weird in a family of cops. Not at first. They thought I was just showing the skills needed to be a good detective. When I started insisting neuroscience labs and not crime scenes were going to be my workplaces, that’s when things got a little tense.”
“I can’t picture you as a cop, although you would look very good in the uniform.” Lola wondered if she’d met any of Quinn’s family members working with the LAPD.
Quinn swatted at Lola’s arm playfully.
“My dad, brother, two aunts, and a cousin are all cops. Family dinners always had minimum one member missing, and even if everyone was there it was shop talk, debriefing from a bad case, or an underlying tension waiting for the next thing to come along. I saw how much my mom and my uncles worried about their spouses. That they might not come home. That wasn’t the life for me.”
Lola’s heart sank. Quinn would love your job. Probably better you’re leaving before this turns into something. “Are you close to your family now?” she asked.
Quinn got up and started dishing out the food they’d brought. Lola could tell she was uncomfortable. She wished she could take back the question. She wanted Quinn to lie back down in her arms for a little longer.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s not your fault,” Quinn said. “I was just thinking what a perfect day this has been and this,” she gestured with the container she was holding, “is the reason I barely speak to my family.”
“Macaroni salad?” Lola asked. She reached for Quinn and made sure she knew she was joking. “What happened?”
“Women.”
“Fuck them,” Lola said.
“That’s the general source of the conflict,” Quinn said. “My desire to do so, my family’s horror at the thought. We already had so much trouble relating to each other after I told them I wasn’t going into the family business and was going to be a scientist. I guess it was easier to get the rainbow sheep out of the family.”
“Who in their right mind would let you out of their life?” Lola asked. As she said it she almost choked on the words. What the hell am I going to do?
Quinn shrugged. She handed Lola a fork and moved back into Lola’s personal space on the blanket. They sat together and finished their picnic as the sun set over the water.
Lola drove them home and gave Quinn the promised good night kiss on her doorstep. As she returned to her own apartment Lola couldn’t remember enjoying an afternoon more. The case was over, the apartment was hers through the end of the month, she had vacation time owed her, plenty of money in the bank, and she’d promised Holt she’d think about her offer. LA was a great place to do some thinking.
You don’t know your ass from your elbow with women. What if you stick around and it blows up in your face again? What if you leave and you regret it forever?
Chapter Fourteen
Quinn stretched and pushed back from her computer. She’d been up for about an hour but hadn’t really gotten much done.
I really should stop sleeping in my office. Not much motivation to go home when I know Lola will tuck my blanket back on here. She’s not waiting for me at home.
When she thought of Lola, she got a pleasant thrill in her stomach. She looked forward to their breakfasts more than any other part of her week, and she could barely think about their beach date without blushing. Lola was hotter than sin, but Quinn was just as attracted to how intelligent Lola was. She was surrounded by academics, but none of them seemed to have the intellectual curiosity Lola did. It was invigorating.
Jessica popped her head in. “Need some coffee, Dr. Golden?”
Quinn had given up asking Jessica to call her Quinn in the office. “I can get my own coffee, Jessica.”
“Not with that dreamy look. You would probably walk into something. Thinking about janitor hot body?”
Normally, Quinn would have denied it, but what was the point? She was thinking about Lola and the description fit.
“So, have you two sealed the deal yet?” Jessica asked.
“We’re moving at a pace that works for both of us,” Quinn said. She thought of how close she’d been to losing control at the beach. Lola said she felt the same way. Quinn felt like she needed to go slow with Lola. She’d mentioned a bad breakup. She didn’t mind the slow burn either.
“Well, she would be a fool to not be into you,” Jessica said. “And anyone with eyes can see she is. Let me get you some coffee so when she comes to pick you up for breakfast you can carry on a conversation.”
“Do you mind bringing it to the lab? I think I’m going to take a look at some of the new scans.”
“Excuse me,” Jessica said. She slapped both hands on her cheeks in mock horror. “Are you bringing liquids into Dr. Golden’s research lab?”
“I won’t tell her if you won’t. I hear she’s a real hard-ass.”
Quinn made her way down the hall to her lab. She could hear Lola at work a few doors down. She wanted to stick her head in to say hi, but Lola would be all hers in about an hour. It was easier to picture after the beach.
As she approached the lab, Quinn’s thoughts turned to work. She had new data to look at that she needed for her final grant application. She keyed open the door and pushed. It resisted about a third of the way open. She pushed harder, thinking a student must have left a chair in the way.
She slid in to remove the obstacle and stopped, frozen at the horror before her. She wanted to scream, but nothing came out. The world seemed to stop, and her mind, which now seemed to be spitting out thoughts in slow motion, remin
ded her that everyone in the movies screamed in situations like this. She stepped back out of the room, pulled the door handle, slamming the door shut, and started yelling for Lola. She held the door handle, as if the door would spring back open of its own accord.
Lola and Jessica came running. Lola was still carrying the wastebasket she’d been attending to. She dropped it when she got to Quinn.
“What’s wrong?” Lola’s hands were everywhere on Quinn’s body.
Quinn wasn’t sure if she was comforting her or, more likely, checking for injuries. Either way, it felt nice. Quinn threw herself into Lola’s embrace. She couldn’t yet put into words what was behind the door. She knew she was shaking uncontrollably. She started to cry now that she was safely wrapped up. There was a reason she called for Lola. She just knew that Lola would keep her safe, would make this okay. Somehow.
Jessica started to open the door to the lab.
“Don’t!” Quinn reached out to stop her.
Jessica jumped back.
“What’s in there?” Lola asked. She didn’t let go of Quinn even when she held her a little farther away so she could look her in the eye.
“I can’t,” Quinn said.
“Okay. That’s okay,” Lola said. “I’m going to take a quick peek. Stay here with Jessica. I’ll be right back.”
Quinn wanted to tell her not to go in, not to look at what she’d seen, what she could never unsee, but Lola seemed so sure of herself and in control of the situation, Quinn let her go. She shivered as Lola withdrew and handed her off to Jessica, who wrapped her in a hug. Lola didn’t stay long. She stepped back out and quietly closed the door.
“Come here, baby,” Lola said.
Quinn flew back into Lola’s arms.
“Jessica, can you please call the police? Tell them there’s a dead body in Quinn’s lab. They’re going to need their homicide team. Quinn and I are going to stay right here until they get here to make sure no one else goes in there. Can you get the blanket from Quinn’s office, please? And if there’s a way to keep people off this floor until the police arrive, that would be great.”
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