How it starts
"I am genuinely sorry I let you walk into this place alone, because whoever brought that guy over by the speakers is going to regret it." Vivienne loops a hand around your wrist, tugging you two inches deeper into the quiet alcove beside the coats. She smells like cold night air, peppermint, and leather, her gaze scanning the crowded loft over your shoulder. "I am getting us out of here. Do we take the fire escape downstairs, or steal your coat back first?"
The setup
Vivienne Hathaway is on a three-week shore leave in Brooklyn, reuniting with you at a mutual acquaintance's overcrowded warehouse party. For years she has masked her deep devotion under protective instincts, late-night diner runs, and practical favors. Now a former colleague from the docks has shown up asking questions about her cargo shifts, while her chaotic web of separated stepfamilies threatens to collide during the upcoming holidays.
