Olivia Benson couldn't help but tease her companion playfully;
"Of all the bars in New York you really want to spend your one night in town in this neighbourhood?'"
Dr George Huang gave her a cheeky smile but his retort was earnest.
"my good detective, Oklahoma city has enough beer dives, and even its fair share of pretentious cocktail bars if you know the right neighbourhood… but the thing I miss most about New York is the cheesy, classic gay bar"
Olivia shook her head.
"well, I know better than to argue with you."
She was enjoying the company of an old friend. It was funny to think back to when George was a contentious newcomer to the SVU department. With how much change had happened in the department in the last few years whenever he visited New York their brief catchups were a warm, sweet breeze from easier days. Not that things had ever been easy, but it was funny how the longer you lived the more complicated life got.
They had been out for dinner with a few of the old gang, but everyone had somewhere to be so in the end it was only Olivia that George had been able to coax out for a nightcap. Never one to be particularly camp or flamboyant when he lived in New York, Olivia was amused by how much a stint in smaller city had made him appreciate the gay scene. They were wandering down to an old haunt of his so he could 'spend an hour feeling normal again'. Olivia knew that beneath his trademark sarcastic humour he was feeling the weight of his multiple minority identities in a different way in Oklahoma.
"oh no!" George stopped and exclaimed as they rounded the corner to the specific Bar that he'd had in mind. "it's ladies night!" He shook his head. "Leave town for 5 minutes and everything changes"
They surveyed the brash posters declaring Wednesdays to be 'Lemon' night, with a scantily clad female model holding a discounted tequila shot.
"Well, unless there is something you're not telling me detective, looks like we're heading back to the Glitterbox, Sorry for the detour!"
Olivia laughed. "Glitterbox it is!"
She was just about to spin around to follow Huang when something made her stop. in the gaggle of women outside the bar smoking and talking she spotted what looked like a familiar blonde head.
"Olivia?"
Huang called her name, he'd walked half a dozen paces on before he had realised she wasn't following.
"Hey George" she paused. "does that look like Rollins to you?"
...
Amanda Rollins settled on her bar stool, sighing audibly.
The bartender shook his head at her. "honey, you better loose that heavy attitude, or you ain't gettin' no snatch tonight. My cousin Larry looks like more fun than you, and he's an undertaker from Ohio."
Amanda sighed again. The bartender didn't exactly look like an authority on 'getting snatch' but it was true. No woman was going to hit on a stressed out zombie.
She took a long swig of the beer he brought over, and tried to push all thoughts of work from her mind. In truth it wasn't just the job. It was the city. She'd been in New York for 2 years now but she didn't feel like she had put down roots. She still only knew a handful of people outside of work. It was hard enough to penetrate a social circle in this monolith of a city before you even factored in the unfriendly hours and mind numbing intensity of her work. She wasn't keen to get close to anyone from Gamblers Anonymous, too messy.
But she was lonely. There was no denying it.
Finishing her beer and motioning to the bartender for another, she stretched her shoulders and looked up, just as a pretty brunette with a sharp cut bob appeared next to her scanning the bar.
Amanda flashed a winning smile that extended all the way to her big blue eyes.
"Lookin' for someone?"
The brunette smiled back. "my roommate is always late, should have known to arrive half an hour after we agreed to"
"Well we can't have a pretty lady all alone at the bar. First one is on me… that is if you"d like?
Amanda's endearing combination of southern chivalry and bashfulness didn't often fail to melt hearts, and this woman was no exception.
In the half hour before her friend turned up Amanda had found out her companion was a junior journalist from Pennsylvania, newly single and had aspirations to work in Television. There wasn't much conversation after that, her friend arrived with another woman in tow just as the bar started to pack out and the music got louder. The journalist invited Amanda to keep hanging out with them, and over the next hour beers turned into shots, and then they were out on the dance floor.
As one song rolled into another Amanda found herself dancing closer to the journalist. She caught her eye flirtatiously,
"I'm gonna get some air, you want to come"
The brunette followed Amanda outside the bar , where they sank into the wall behind a group of smokers.
"I'm having a really good time"
Amanda gently took her hand. "yeah me too."
They looked at each other for a second, and Amanda leaned in and kissed her. Within seconds Amanda had her pushed up against the wall and they were making out furiously.
Amanda felt the heat rising in her body, a combination of alcohol buzz, and pent up desire that hadn't been sated nearly recently enough. She vaguely registered some wolf whistles and smart comments from the group of older Dykes smoking behind them, but was soon completely lost in the moment.
She certainly wasn't aware that her boss was standing 20 feet away, staring straight at the back of her head in shock.