by Elle Spencer
Quinn ignored her, zipping up her bag and setting it on the floor. Lacey went into the bathroom, and when she came back out ten minutes later, Quinn was gone.
***
“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” Amy said, breaking the silence in the limo.
Quinn stared blankly out the window. “It’s okay. I think the person you really want to yell at, is Lacey.”
“You’re right. I’m pissed at her. What the hell was she thinking going off like that? For all we knew, she could’ve been lying dead in the subway. Or, bleeding out in Central Park, or…”
“Her dad just died.” That was what Quinn had been telling herself. She’s fragile. Her dad just died. Don’t make it worse for her.
“I don’t know how that relates to her staying out all night with her hot ex-girlfriend, but okay. I guess if you can forgive her, so can I.”
That made Quinn crack a smile. She was lucky to have such a loyal assistant. “You’ve been incredible, Amy. The funeral was perfect. The flowers were gorgeous. None of that would’ve happened without you.”
Amy swooned a little bit, tucking her blonde curls behind her ears. “Thank you. I did my best.”
“He seemed like a good man, didn’t he? I wish…” Quinn took a breath. “I wish I could’ve spent more time with him before he died.”
Amy’s eyes misted over. “I should give her a hug when she gets here. I was rude earlier.”
The door opened and Lacey slid in, moving Quinn’s purse onto the floor so she could sit as close to her as possible. She kept her big sunglasses on and rested her hand on Quinn’s thigh. “You’re both amazing people,” she said, her voice still shaky. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for honoring my father the way you have. And you should both know that I love you.”
Amy’s face contorted as she started to cry. She grabbed a tissue and nodded. “We love you too.”
That was all Quinn needed. Those words and the hand squeezing her leg told her everything she needed to know. She wrapped her arms around Lacey, pulling her closer and kissing her temple. She breathed in the scent of her shampoo, a scent she’d grown to love. “Are you ready to go home?” she gently asked.
Lacey leaned her head against Quinn’s. “Let’s go,” she whispered.
***
Quinn set a hot cup of tea in front of Lacey and gave Jack a bottle of water. She sat in between them at the kitchen table.
“I’m sorry we have to do this so soon,” Jack said, eyeing both of them with concern.
Lacey wrapped her hands around the cup of tea. “It’s okay. Thank you, for being at my dad’s funeral, Jack. It meant a lot to me that you were there, helping with everything.”
New York was kind of a blur for Lacey. She’d felt like a zombie, just going through the motions of living while trying to do right by the dead. But through it all, she knew who had been there for her, and Jack was on that list.
“Your father would be…was…is…very proud of you, I’m sure. You’re a strong woman, Lacey. Every father should be so lucky to have a child show such strength, love and respect at their funeral.”
“I had no one when my mother died.” Lacey’s eyes flicked between the two of them. They seemed surprised by her declaration. She took a sip of tea to soothe her dry throat. “My dad was too broken to be there for me. It took about a year before he could look at me and not see my mother. We looked a lot alike.” She took another sip of tea, determined to say this. “So, I know what it feels like to grieve alone. And now, I know what if feels like to be surrounded by people who could take my burden and let me break down and cry for days on end. That’s the only reason I was able to stand up and speak about my dad.” She took Quinn’s hand. “Because I knew once I was done, I could break down again and be weak and grieve. It means everything when you have that.”
Quinn wrapped both of her hands around Lacey’s. “You grieve for as long as you need to. Jack and I will handle things.”
Lacey wiped her tears away. “No. I’m a part of this. Please don’t shut me out.”
Quinn turned to Jack and nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Right now, everything is just rumor and a few paparazzi photos. We need to legitimize your relationship, and the faster we do that, the faster we can move on to the break-up, and Quinn, you can start dating for real, which has always been the goal, correct?”
Quinn glanced at Lacey. She didn’t say it out loud, but she gave Jack an almost imperceptible nod.
Jack eyed them both over his reading glasses. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No,” Lacey quickly said. She took another sip of her tea. “How do we legitimize our relationship?”
“There’s always Twitter and Instagram, but nothing says you’re a couple like walking a red carpet together. There are several charity events coming up in the next few weeks that would be good options. Of course, you’ll get questions from reporters, so we’ll have to work on your talking points. Beyond that, it’s just a question of how far you want to take it. You could go on the late-night shows, do one-on-one interviews, that kind of thing. But honestly, if you’re going to break up within a few months, I wouldn’t take it too far. You might come off as shallow or experimental, Quinn.”
“At the same time, getting on the late-night shows would be great for Lacey’s career,” Quinn replied.
Jack nodded. “They’re all begging for both or either of you.”
Quinn turned to Lacey. “We could keep it low key. Keep our answers vague. Not say out loud that we’re in love. I mean, you know, we wouldn’t have to gush about each other. As fellow actors, of course. Just not…you know.”
“I could tell them how scared you were to shoot the love scenes,” Lacey said, her voice small and sincere. “They’d laugh.” Jack giggled. “See?” Lacey motioned with her head at Jack.
Quinn bit her lip, trying not to smile. “I wasn’t scared.”
Lacey huffed. “Right. And I didn’t bite your pussy.” Realizing what she’d just said and who she just said it in front of, Lacey’s mouth fell open. “Oh god. Sorry, Jack. It was nothing. I just bit her panties a little… on the set… in front of everyone.”
Jack put up his hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s actually good to hear that sarcasm again. We missed it.”
Quinn couldn’t help but smile. It was the first time in over a week that Lacey had sounded like herself. “I guess we need to get our story straight. How we met. How you got cast on the show. How it happened.”
Lacey tilted her head. “How what happened?”
“You know. How we fell in…”
“Fake love?” Lacey finished it for her. “Yeah. We need to make up a moment. The moment we fell in fake love.”
They all eyed one another and then Jack stood up. “Let me know what event you’d like to attend first.” He pulled a piece of paper out of his briefcase. “Here’s a list.”
Quinn took the list and walked Jack to the door. “Walk me to my car?” he suggested.
***
Jack stood by his car, smiling at Quinn. “What?” she asked.
“I’m getting a vibe.”
Quinn folded her arms. “Oh yeah? What kind of vibe?”
“You love her.”
Quinn glanced back at the house. The door was open, but they were far enough away that they couldn’t be heard. “It’s not like that. We care about each other. And I want the best for her. For her career. We have to do this right, Jack.”
“Uh huh.” Jack bounced on his feet. “She loves you too. You know that, right?”
Quinn’s gaze dropped to her feet. “I’m not so sure about that. She spent the night with Dani before we left New York.”
“She WHAT? Why didn’t you tell me? Did anyone see them? Photograph them? I have to talk to her.”
Quinn grabbed Jack’s arm. She was going to tell him he couldn’t interrogate Lacey, but she wanted the truth as much as he did. And maybe Lacey would be more forthright with him. She let g
o and followed him back into the house.
Lacey put the tea kettle on the stove and turned the burner on. Jack stood on the other side of the island. “Tell me about your night with Dani.”
Lacey jumped at the sound of Jack’s voice, not realizing he’d come back in the house. She eyed him and then looked at Quinn. “We went for coffee.”
“For nine hours?” Quinn softened her tone. “I mean, you were gone for a long time.”
Jack kept his eyes on Lacey, waiting for an answer. “I need to know where you went. If photos were taken. If you kissed in public. What time you left wherever you were.”
Lacey looked at Quinn again and then lowered her gaze. “Do I really have to tell you everything? We weren’t followed or photographed.”
Jack turned to Quinn. She took a step forward. “Please just tell us, Lacey. It’s important that we don’t have any surprises.”
Lacey sighed. “We were just going to have coffee. That was it. But then, she took me somewhere else.” Lacey turned away from them. Quinn put her hand up, gesturing for Jack to be patient. They waited and eventually, Lacey turned back around. “She proposed. In the middle of Times Square, Dani asked me to marry her.”
Quinn’s mouth fell open. “She…what?”
“Who saw?” Jack asked. He leaned on the counter with both hands. “Why am I even asking? Times Square? Everyone saw.”
Lacey covered her face with her hands. “It wasn’t like that. Dani isn’t the type to get on one knee. No one was paying any attention to us. I swear.” She took a breath. “You know how Times Square is – literally packed with tourists.”
Quinn ran her fingers through her hair. “I should’ve stopped you. In the hallway, I should’ve stopped you. Why didn’t I stop you?”
“Just so we’re clear,” Jack said. “You didn’t actually accept her proposal, right? She isn’t going to post a photo of your ring-clad hand on Instagram.”
Lacey shook her head.
“And then where did you go?”
“Jack.” Quinn gave him a look, hoping he wouldn’t be so harsh.
Lacey looked at the ceiling, trying to hold back the tears. “I um…went to my dad’s apartment and wrote him a letter.”
“Oh.” Quinn took Jack by the arm. “I think we’re good, here.”
It was a stunning story and neither of them knew what to say as they walked back out to Jack’s car. They stood there for a moment and then Jack said, “On the day of her father’s funeral? Unbelievable. Who does this woman think she is?”
Quinn was kicking herself for not intervening somehow. She’d done everything she could to help Lacey deal with her grief and everything that goes with a loved one dying. But she couldn’t protect her from Dani. It wasn’t her place, she’d thought at the time. She wasn’t Lacey’s real girlfriend. She couldn’t take her by the arm and insist that she not go out into the night with her ex.
That hadn’t stopped her from pacing the floor all night like a real girlfriend would. She’d been worried sick and maybe a little bit jealous – the image of Dani taking Lacey by the elbow like she owned her playing over and over in her head. Also, her mother’s words. Margaret would be so disappointed if she knew what had happened – that Quinn hadn’t done the right thing the second time she’d had the chance to.
Jack didn’t want to push, but he had to know one thing. “Have you watched the new episodes?”
Quinn shook her head. She’d seen a few of the scenes, but watching full episodes of her show wasn’t something she enjoyed doing. She was too big a critic, noticing every little thing that she and her co-stars could’ve done better.
“You should watch them, Quinn. You’d see how good the two of you are together.”
“Now you’re a fan? I thought you didn’t like Lacey.”
“I never said I didn’t like her. I said she’d give you a run for your money. And she has. In the best possible way. Even your mother can’t get over the difference in you.”
“My mother is a rabid soap fan. That’s the only reason…”
“You’re wrong. Your mother couldn’t stop talking about you, not Lacey.”
Quinn’s gaze dropped to the ground. “She knows. My mom knows it’s a fake relationship.”
“I know. She told me. She also told me how proud she is of the way you handled the funeral. The way you took care of Lacey. The way you stepped up and did what needed to be done. She even shed a few tears when she talked about the day she met Lacey and how she did the same for you, standing up for you, defending you. She said it was so nice to see you with someone who seemed to have nothing but your best interests at heart.”
Jack took a step closer, resting his hands on Quinn’s shoulders. “Don’t write her off just because keeping her in your life wasn’t part of the original plan. I know you, Quinn. You make a plan and then you stick to it, no matter what. But don’t forget – you trusted Lacey with your life when you broke your arm, and she didn’t let you down. And if you’d just watch the episodes, you’d see that she’s singlehandedly breathed new life into your show. Do you have any idea how many new Twitter followers you have?”
“I haven’t looked lately.”
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to tweet a photo of the two of you sometime in the near future.”
Quinn nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for everything, Jack.”
Jack had to smile. “So far, so good. Even with the setbacks, you’re almost where you want to be. We’ll talk soon.”
***
Quinn went back inside, but Lacey was gone. She found her out back, sitting in a sunny spot, sipping on another cup of tea. Quinn pulled up a chair and sat down, facing her.
Lacey kept her eyes on her cup. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just didn’t see the point.”
“I hope you know you can trust me, Lace. With anything.”
Lacey gave her a nod. “I know. I was just so embarrassed she’d pull a stunt like that. I mean, Times Square? It’s like she doesn’t know me at all.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“My father just died. And she took me to the most public place in the city, packed with tourists.” Lacey shook her head in disgust. “And what’s the goddamned rush, anyway?”
“She certainly let me know where I stand,” Quinn said. “In no uncertain terms.”
“What did she say to you?”
“Well, she intimated that you’d both had your little flings, but that she owned you. It sounds like she plans to take back that ownership.” Quinn paused as Lacey’s expression evolved into a look of disgust. “Lace, she called you her fiancée.”
Lacey wanted to scream. She wanted to scream at Dani, but also at Quinn for not having the guts to say something in the hotel hallway that night. Just two words – Don’t go.
If Quinn knew Dani’s intentions and didn’t even flinch when they left together that night, that meant something, didn’t it? It meant that everything Lacey had been feeling was one-sided. They were friends and co-workers. Nothing more.
Quinn reached out and put her hand on Lacey’s knee. “I got them to postpone production until Monday. That gives us two more days. What would you like to do? Do you need space? Or, a long drive in the Maserati? We could drive up the coast. Whatever you need right now, we’ll make it happen.”
“What do you need?” Lacey knew the answer. Quinn needed them to break up so she could get on with her life.
“I need to know you’re going to be okay. And anything I can do to help…”
Lacey stood up. “Pick a charity event for next weekend. I’ll be fine to go.”
Quinn also stood up. “We don’t have to do it so soon.”
“Don’t we?” Lacey looked her in the eye. “Jack said the sooner we do it, the sooner we can break up.” She handed Quinn her empty cup. “Just do it, Quinn.” She headed for the guesthouse and slammed the door shut.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Lacey was in bad shape. The week in New York had solidified in her mind
that Quinn was the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. They’d spent every waking and even sleeping moment together, Quinn always by her side, even at the morgue when she said her final goodbyes to her father. It was the most difficult week of her life and she didn’t know how she could’ve gotten through it without Quinn there.
Even on the plane ride back to L.A., Quinn had held her close. It was only when they walked into the house that they went their separate ways, Quinn to her bedroom and Lacey to the guesthouse. Maybe Quinn was in desperate need of some alone time. It had been a hard week for everyone, after all. Lacey couldn’t begrudge her that. But she couldn’t sleep well, either. She’d sat on the edge of the bed for hours last night, not wanting to sleep alone. Not wanting to wake up alone.
But she did wake up alone. She stared at the ceiling for a while and then dragged herself out of bed. She sat at the little kitchen table alone and sipped on a cup of bad coffee, thinking about how wonderful a long drive sounded. It also sounded like torture, having to sit next to the woman she’d fallen in love with for hours on end. There wouldn’t be a reason to touch her anymore. No cameras. No debilitating grief. Just them. Alone.
God, the more Lacey thought about it, it sounded absolutely horrible. No, it seemed best just to stay in L.A. and rest over the weekend. Find her bearings again. She had fan mail. More than she’d ever had during her career on Light of Day. Maybe she could sit and read the love mail and more than likely, a bit of hate mail.
***
Quinn knocked on the guesthouse door and poked her head in. “Hey.” She frowned when she saw the coffee cup. “Why didn’t you come inside for coffee? I have breakfast waiting.”
“I, um…” Lacey always went inside for coffee. That big espresso machine called to her, and Quinn knew how much she loved it. Any excuse she made for drinking the crappy coffee wouldn’t be believed, so she didn’t even try.
“Do you want to be alone?”