" Like I said, I don't want a relationship. I refuse to get attached to another woman again. And I am definitely never falling in love and getting married again," Sebastian said firmly.
Jared actually rolled his eyes. " Do I really have to tell you not all women are going to be like your ex? I feel like your mother saying that, cause that would probably be something she would say."
Sebastian snorted. " Probably. But I don't really care. Victoria broke me and I can't be fixed."
" You think you're the first person to get their heart broken, man? Come on. You will heal and you will eventually want more for yourself. It might not be any time soon because your wound is fresh and deep, but never say never."
Sebastian just lifted his lip in disgust and looked away. He was saying never alright. And he wasn't going to change his mind. Not now, not ever. He would never let a woman hurt him again. Women were now for sexual pleasure only. They were not friends, they were not girlfriends, they most definitely were not wives.
Jared must have sensed Sebastian's denial because he changed the subject. They talked for another half hour before Sebastian's hour session ended. Sebastian said bye to Jared then headed out to his truck. He needed to go see Bill. He hadn't been there in a couple days and he wanted to make sure he was still doing well, so Sebastian headed to the hospital.
Quinn was slowly loosing his mind. He could feel it. He was also seriously considering talking to Peter about getting Margot out of his fucking office. She was great at her job, but Quinn could not stand her. She was obnoxious and she was always making some kind of annoying noise while she worked. Whether it be tapping her pencil, or her foot, or humming, or popping gum. Quinn was ready to rip his fucking hair out. No matter how many times he asked her to be quiet, she just couldn't do it.
In her goddamn sexy French accent, she says it is impossible to sit still. He'd never been so conflicted before. On one hand - he found her attractive. So attractive that she had become the new star of his erotic fantasies. On the other hand - he was ready to strangle her. Not that she wasn't a nice person or whatever. She just got on his last nerve with her constant fidgeting.
" Quinn?" Margot's voice asked, cutting through his thoughts. Her small warm hand rested on his forearm, setting his skin on fire.
Quinn gasped as his head whipped around to glare at her. " What?" he barked.
Margot frowned. Hurt flashed quickly in her eyes before she covered it up. Now he felt like a dick. " I need your help with something," she explained and placed the paper in her hand in front of him on his drafting table. " I cannot get the dimensions correct for this. Can you help?"
Quinn rubbed his eyes with his forefinger and thumb before glancing down at what she was working on. For the next twenty minutes, Quinn explained what she had been doing wrong and helped her fix it. For the first time since they met, Margot hadn't irritated him. They had worked together to fix the problem. Margot had listened when he spoke and asked intelligent questions.
" Merci," Margot said sweetly when they finished. Her big hazel eyes shimmered as she gazed down at him. Margot wasn’t overly tall but with her standing and Quinn sitting, she was taller.
Quinn just gave her a nod and a tight smile. Feeling weird inside. He was having so many conflicting emotions; fondness, annoyance, desire, aggravation, respect, longing. He couldn't understand how he could want someone sexually but dislike then personally. Okay...he couldn't say he disliked her, he just disliked her habits.
Margot bent down and gave him a peck on the cheek before gliding back over to her desk and taking a seat. Quinn stared at her, unsure of what to do. Quinn did not like people invading his personal space and touching him. But his cheek tingled where her lips met his skin. What would it feel like to actually kiss her, he wondered. She seemed like she would be wild and unrestricted. Quinn wondered if she would enjoy what he enjoyed during sex. She seemed like she would be the kind of woman to try anything. His cock liked the idea too.
Margot's cell phone rang. She answered it and immediately started talking rapidly and animated in French. Quinn groaned, his sexual fantasy shattering. Jesus Christ. Maybe if she was a bit calmer when she talked, she wouldn't be so annoying. Fuck, he couldn't wait for this day to be over.
Quinn got up and left Margot to her phone call. He headed down the hall towards Peter's office. When he reached the open door, Quinn knocked on the frame then shoved his hands in his pockets. Peter looked up and smiled.
" Hey, Quinn. What's up?" Peter asked pleasantly.
" I need to talk to you about Margot," Quinn said seriously.
Peter's smile slipped. He waved Quinn into the office. " Shut the door."
Quinn stepped into the office and shut the door behind him. Peter offered him a seat but Quinn shook his head. He'd rather stand and pace a little bit.
" What's going on?" Peter asked, leaning back in his chair. His eyes followed Quinn as he paced.
Peter was an average looking guy. Too skinny in Quinn opinion. And he looked like a complete nerd with his thick rimmed glasses and bow tie. Peter's glasses looked a bit like Henry's but somehow Henry made his glasses look stylish and classy. Peter...not so much. He looked like the geek he was.
" I want Margot out of my office," Quinn said firmly. He was not taking no for an answer.
" Why?" Peter asked evenly. His eyes narrowed on Quinn and his pacing.
" She's annoying the ever living shit out of me, Peter! You know how I like quiet when I work and I'm getting none of it with her in there," Quinn snapped.
" Quinn, seriously? That's why you want her out of your office? Because she makes too much noise?" Peter said incredulously.
" Yes! You have no idea how irritating she is. She’s always tapping and talking and popping her gum. I'm going to freaking explode if it continues!" Quinn practically shouted, throwing his arms up.
Peter gaped at him as if Quinn had just grown two heads. Probably because Quinn had never raised his voice...ever.
" I'm loosing my fucking mind in there, Peter! I've asked her to be quiet and she just says it's impossible for her to stay still and quiet. I need her out of my office," He said, planting his hands on the desk across from Peter and pinned him with a determined look. " Now."
Peter grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. " Quinn, I'm sorry man...I would move her if I could. I really have no where else to put her and you two are working on the same project. It only seems fitting to have her in your office."
Quinn blinked stupidly at the man. " Excuse me?" he asked dryly.
" All the offices are occupied. There is no where else to put her."
" Put her in someone else's office then," Quinn bit out through clenched teeth.
Peter's eyes widened and his mouth worked as if he was trying to figure out what to say. Then he shook his head as if to clear it. " No, Quinn. You're working on the same project. She needs to stay with you," he said, using his boss voice.
" Peter..." Quinn started, but Peter cut him off.
" I'm sorry, Quinn. I'm not taking her out of your office. You need to figure out how to deal with her," Peter said firmly, letting Quinn know that he wasn't going to change his mind.
Quinn shoved away from Peter's desk, completely disgusted and pissed off. " You know...of all people I thought you would have understood. You know me, Peter. You know how I am."
Peter frowned. " Listen, Quinn...it's not that I don't understand cause I do. But I'm not going to move her to someone else's office. You guys are working on the same project."
Quinn raked a frustrated hand through his hair as he paced away from the desk. His other hand on his hip. He spun back around when he had an idea. " Can you put her in a conference room?"
" What?! No! I won't do that," Peter said, shaking his head.
" Dammit, Peter! This isn't fair!" Quinn yelled, stomping his foot like a little kid having a temper tantrum. His hands were fisted at his sides and he was positively fuming. Who was this person he was
turning into?
Peter's jaw set and Quinn could tell that he was getting pissed too. " You need to go get some air before you say something you don't mean. I know we're friends and all but I'm still your boss and I won't tolerate your insubordination," he said coolly.
Quinn's eyes flared and his blood boiled. He'd never been so livid in his life. He turned on his heel and stormed out of Peter's office. Slamming the door behind him. What an asshole! Quinn wasn't asking for special treatment because they were friends. He was asking because Peter was understanding and fair. In no way was this situation fair. Quinn just wanted his space back. Why couldn't she work in the conference room. It was barely used.
Quinn took the elevator down to the lobby. He then stomped out the double glass doors and onto the busy city sidewalk. Son of a bitch! What the hell was he going to do?! He needed to calm down. He needed to talk to someone who would understand. Henry! Henry's office was only a few blocks away. Quinn started towards Henry's office building.
Once in the reception area, the pretty receptionist at the desk called Claire - who was still working as Henry's assistant. A minute later, he turned and spotted Claire walking towards him. She had a big grin on her gorgeous face. Quinn couldn't help but smile at his sister-in-law. She was the greatest and he was so glad that Henry had found happiness with her. Quinn was super jealous. Even though he loved them both dearly.
" Quinn! Hi!" Claire beamed, grabbing his face and kissing his cheek before pulling him into a hug.
Quinn was in no way an affectionate person. He didn't really like to be touched except for when he was being sexually intimate with a woman. And even then, he tried to keep touching to a minimum. He didn't like people in his personal space. His aversion to touch started at a young age, maybe 10 or so. Something happened to him that, no one - not even his parents - knew about. He knew that’s where most of his problems stemmed from. He wasn’t always an introvert. He used to be an outgoing kid. Up until he had someone he trusted and thought he knew change him forever.
Claire would never let him get away with not giving her a kiss and hug though. And he knew she meant well and was an overly affectionate person. It really didn't feel so bad coming from her actually, so he didn't mind that much.
" Hey, Claire," he murmured softly.
" What are you doing here?" Claire asked, giving him a quizzical look.
" Can I talk to Henry for a minute?" he asked hopefully.
" Yeah, sure," Claire said, motioning for him to follow her. " Is everything okay?" she asked, glancing back at him with a concerned frown.
" Yeah...I just need some advice," he replied with a tight smile.
Claire smiled softly. " Gotcha."
Claire led Quinn down the main isle, which was lined with cubicles. Everyone seemed to stop working to stare at him as he passed. Quinn ignored it. Claire stopped in front of what Quinn guessed was Henry's office and knocked softly before peeking her head in.
" You have a visitor, love," Claire said.
" Okay," Quinn heard Henry's deep raspy voice which was so much like his own, mutter.
Claire opened the door wider to let Quinn pass her. Quinn entered Henry's large office and glanced around. Quinn heard the door click shut behind him. He glanced back at it before turning to look at Henry, who hadn't glanced up yet from the paper he was looking at.
Quinn waited. After a moment, Henry glanced up. He did a double take when he spotted Quinn. Quinn felt the one side of his mouth curl up. Yeah...Henry was surprised to see him here. Quinn had never visited him at work before. Henry - looking spiffy in his navy blue suit - stood and skirted the desk, a small smile playing across this lips.
" Quinn. What's up, brother?" Henry greeted him, clasping his hand and giving him a manly shoulder bump.
Henry knew about Quinn's squeamishness to being touched. So Henry always kept it to a minimum with him. But Henry gave Sebastian and Christian big bear hugs since they didn't mind. Henry pulled back and clapped Quinn on the shoulder.
" Have a seat," Henry said, sitting down in one of the two chairs in front of his desk.
Quinn lowered himself into the other one. " Thanks," he said quietly.
" What brings you here?" Henry asked curiously.
" I need to talk to someone," Quinn sighed.
Henry's smile fell as he regarded Quinn more seriously. " Okay...I'm all ears."
Henry had always been a great listener. He had always listened when Quinn had a problem while they were growing up. He was an awesome big brother. Still is.
Quinn took a deep breath before starting. " Okay...so Peter hired a new architect - a woman - from France."
" Ooh la la," Henry joked.
Quinn found himself smiling again. He shook his head and continued. " Peter put us together on a really big project and stuck her in my office so we can work together easier."
" Okay, sounds reasonable," Henry nodded.
" Yeah, and it wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't annoying as shit. Henry, you know how much I value my quiet. This woman is anything but quiet. She taps her pencil constantly, she hums, she pops her gum and god forbid someone calls her cell phone because then she starts jabbering in rapid French. I'm about to loose my fucking mind, man"
Henry chuckled and shook his head. " Did you say something to her?"
" Yes, many times, she just tells me that it's impossible for her to stay still."
Henry sighed. " Oh man. What about Peter? Did you tell him?"
" I just left his office before coming here. We argued. He said that there are no empty offices and he won't put her in someone else's office because we're working on the same project. He won't put her in a conference room either. I thought he would be a little more understanding but he pulled the boss card on me and said he won't tolerate my insubordination."
Henry winced. " Ouch."
" I know, right," Quinn sighed, rubbing his face with one hand.
Henry tapped his chin as he thought over the situation.
" I mean...am I completely wrong here?" Quinn asked.
Henry shook his head. " No, you're not wrong. It's not exactly fair to force you to put up with someone who irritates you as bad as this woman does. But I can understand Peter's side of it too. I can see why he wants you two together and it really wouldn't be nice to put her in a conference room."
Quinn sighed. " I guess not."
" Is she ugly?" Henry asked, completely serious.
Quinn snorted. " Far from it. Why?"
" So you can look at her all day, just not listen to her, right?" Henry asked.
" Yeah," Quinn said slowly.
A slow devilish smile spread across Henry's face. " I think I can help you," he said then stood and walked around his desk.
He rooted through his draws until he pulled out a small box and tossed it at Quinn. Quinn caught it and looked down at it. The bark of laughter that followed surprised him. " Foam earplugs?" Quinn asked. He looked up at Henry to find him grinning smugly behind his desk, arms folded over his broad chest.
" They'll work like a charm. You won’t be able to hear a damn thing with those in your ears," Henry stated.
Quinn smiled up at his brother. " Thanks."
" You're welcome," Henry said with a nod.
Quinn stood and put the earplugs in his pocket. " I better head back."
" I'll walk you out," Henry said and followed Quinn to the door.
Henry walked Quinn out to the reception area. They said their goodbyes and Quinn headed back to his office building. He stepped off the elevator into the lobby area and started towards his office. Peter was standing in his office doorway, hands on his hips. He watched Quinn, his face tight. Quinn was still pissed at him, so he just glared at Peter as he walked by him. This was their first fight. In their five years of friendship, they had never fought about anything.
Quinn heard Peter sigh heavily after he passed. " Quinn," he called. But Quinn kept walking. He couldn't talk to him right now. He'd probably end u
p telling Peter to go fuck himself and that would not be the best thing for Quinn's career.
Quinn walked into his office. Margot was sitting at her desk, humming as she typed. Quinn stifled a shutter of irritation and sat down at his drafting table. He pulled out the box of fluorescent orange earplugs and took two out. He sighed in relief as Margot's humming ceased to exist after sticking the earplugs in his ears. Henry was a lifesaver. Quinn was going to have to do something to thank him. Quinn smiled and closed his eyes as his body relaxed. God, he loved silence. If that made him a freak, he didn't really care.
Chapter 9
" So what's going on with this Sebastian guy?" Nicole asked then took a sip of her white wine.
Sebastian (The Beck Brothers #2) Page 9