“She didn’t want to wait to sing at your swanky Twilight.”
“You dumb fuck.”
Anger flashed in Colin’s eyes. He held up a finger to the waiting customers. “Don’t go there. Your lady asked for information. I provided it. It’s not my problem you can’t keep her satisfied.”
“Two of the rapes happened to women at Duffy’s.” Ryan’s voice was low and anger fled Colin’s face, replaced by concern.
“I didn’t know. You didn’t give me those details either. Look, I’m sure she’s fine. Give her a call and warn her.” He walked away, apologizing to the couple waiting patiently at the end of the bar.
Without thinking, without offering explanations to anyone, Ryan bolted from the bar. Calling would be the sensible thing. Make sure she was at Duffy’s. But he had no sense when it came to Quinn.
He drove like a maniac to get to Duffy’s. The lot was packed. He didn’t see Quinn’s car, but if she planned to drink, she’d have taken a cab. He circled the block, beating a rhythm on the steering wheel. When he saw a car pulling out, he jumped two lanes of traffic and whipped a U-turn to take the spot.
Entering the bar, he was immediately reminded why he disliked Duffy’s. It wasn’t that they were competition. They wanted to be an Irish pub, but they thought the name was all they needed. Cheesy leprechaun pictures hung on the wall, leftover from a long-ago St. Patrick’s Day celebration. College kids came here for the cheap beer.
O’Leary’s had won the patronage of the Irish community. His parents had strong ties, being immigrants themselves. The bar did such a brisk after-work business because of the immigrants. Irishmen liked to drink, but they rarely did it at home.
Ryan focused on faces at every table. He didn’t see Quinn. No one took notice of him as he wound through the crowd. The guy on the platform (it wasn’t big enough to count as a stage) was a good singer, making it easier to tune him out.
He turned the corner and entered the second half of the bar. From behind him, he heard the singer leave the stage and the next one start. The voice stopped him.
Quinn.
He spun around and edged to the side of the crowd. She engaged the audience as she sang.
Worry seeped out as her voice washed over him. It held the same smooth quality as when she sang with the radio in her kitchen, and he’d imagined her singing lullabies to a baby. Now, she was putting on a show. Her feet tapped in rhythm and her hips swayed.
From the shadows behind him, someone tapped his shoulder. He couldn’t take his eyes off Quinn.
“She’s better than you thought, right?”
The question drew his attention. Kate stood beside him. “No, I already knew. I caught her singing the other day.”
He looked back as Quinn finished and took a bow. The crowd applauded. Some stood and cheered. She rushed off the stage.
She was moving so fast she couldn’t have seen much. It was like watching a cartoon character as she skidded to a halt. The flush of pleasure from singing slipped for a moment when she saw him. Then it returned even brighter as she jumped past Kate and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I did it. Did you see? By myself. I was good.”
“Yeah, I heard.” He took a minute and held her pressed against him, inhaling her soft scent. The relief he felt in holding her smacked him so hard he had to take a steadying breath. Anger replaced the worry. Anything could’ve happened to her in this dive. He stepped back, but held her elbow. “Let’s go.”
She jerked her arm and shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m having fun. I might even sing again.”
“You sang. You can mark it off your goddamn list. Let’s go.”
She took a step back and walked away. Kate was no longer at his side. He hadn’t noticed her leave.
He followed Quinn and barely caught her elbow before she sat.
“You’re not staying at this dive. You want to drink and have fun, go to O’Leary’s.”
She yanked her arm back. “Why? So you can spy on me some more? Watch my every move and make sure you approve?”
“No—”
“You don’t own me, Ryan. So we slept together. Big deal. That doesn’t give you the right to tell me what to do.”
“It’s not—”
She held up her hand to stop him. She turned to Kate. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
Kate stood, eyes wide in shock, and grabbed both their purses.
Quinn turned back and poked him in the chest. “Don’t follow me.”
She stormed out. Kate looked back and gave a slight shrug. He’d feel better if he knew where they were going, but at least they left Duffy’s.
He looked around at the staff bustling by. Not one of them stopped the slight altercation between him and Quinn. It was no wonder the sleazebags used Duffy’s as a hunting ground.
No one paid attention.
“What the hell happened? I leave you alone because you look ready to make out with Ryan, the next minute, you’re fighting.” Kate started the car but waited for Quinn’s response.
“He was being an ass.” Quinn turned in her seat. Out the back window, she saw Ryan leave the bar and scan the street.
“How?”
“I didn’t tell him I was coming here. He just showed up and said, ‘Let’s go.’ ”
Kate glanced out of the corner of her eye.
“Like I don’t have the right to go wherever I want.”
“Hmm. Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did he want you to leave?”
“I don’t know.” Her phone rang. Ryan. She pushed it to voice mail.
“This is what I know. I watched him while you sang. He’s really into you.”
“Funny way of showing it. You know, screw this. Let’s go back in. I want to sing again. I’m not going to let him ruin my night.” She stepped from the car and left her phone on the console. She was being petty by not answering it, but he had no right to tell her where she could hang out.
Even more proof that friends with benefits didn’t work.
She thought of how good it initially felt to find Ryan standing in Duffy’s. How natural it had been to throw her arms around him to share her triumph.
You can’t have it all. Either he’s a friend or a lover.
The voice in her head nagged her. As good as the sex was, she wanted the friendship. She wanted to be able to call him to chat, or hang out, without being the needy, demanding girlfriend. She felt comfortable around him and didn’t want that to change.
Back in Duffy’s, she scanned the room. They’d lost their table, so they found a couple of stools at the bar. They hadn’t sat for more than two minutes before a hairy, burly guy squeezed between them and faced Kate.
“Hi. Can I buy you a drink?”
Kate tapped her glass. “I’m good, thanks.”
“I’ll buy the next one.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m married.”
He shuffled and faced Quinn. “How about you?”
Second choice again, and Indy wasn’t even here. She wished she had a ring on her finger that she could flash at him to make him go away. “I’m good. Maybe later.”
He shrugged and left. Kate smirked. “Not your type?”
“Not quite. I’m going to go sing again. Want to join me?” She slid off her stool.
“You know I can’t sing.”
“Neither can most of the people here. It’ll be fun.” She tugged Kate’s elbow. “We’ll sing ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun.’ It’ll be a blast. Trust me.”
They moved to the stage and added their names to the wait list. Standing in the crowd waiting for their turn, Quinn studied the people around her. So many of them were young. She didn’t fit in here. She wasn’t looking for a one-night stand. Sure, a summer romance would be great, but she still believed she wouldn’t find him in a bar.
The DJ called her and Kate to the stage. They set their drinks on the table near the DJ and grabbed microphones. The music
started and they sang. And laughed. The crowd joined in. For a few brief minutes, Quinn understood why Indy enjoyed being the center of attention.
When the song ended, burly guy met them near the stage. “I’ll show you some fun.”
He’d obviously had too much to drink. He swayed as he spoke. Quinn didn’t respond, hoping he would move on.
He stepped into her path. “Come on. I owe you a drink.” He tried to put his arm around her shoulder, but she ducked the contact.
“Actually, we’re done for the night.” She wanted to end her night on a high note, but this guy was making it plummet fast.
“Uh-uh. You said I could buy you a drink later. It’s later. Let’s go.”
Kate stepped closer. “She said she wasn’t interested. Now excuse us.”
“No one’s talking to you.” He shoved past Kate to get close to Quinn.
She smelled the beer and sweat on him and her stomach curdled. What had Ryan called this place? A dive? She was beginning to agree with him. This guy was being obnoxious and no one seemed to notice.
“I’m not interested. Thanks anyway. Now, please move.” She took a step, but he mirrored her movement until she was boxed against the wall. Her thoughts immediately turned to Ryan. Why hadn’t she left with him? Her heart thumped in panic. If she screamed, would anyone even hear her over the guy singing?
Suddenly, a deep male voice asked, “Is there a problem here?”
Burly turned to face an equally big guy. “No, I’m just talking to a woman. Get your own.”
The new guy looked at Quinn.
Kate stood beside the new guy. She reached for Quinn’s hand. “We’re on our way out. Thanks.”
She pulled Quinn through the crowd. “Sorry I left you. I just had a feeling things were going to get bad with that guy, so I went to find a bouncer.”
“Thanks. He was drunk and more than a little creepy.”
Kate dropped Quinn off and went home. Before plugging in her cell phone to charge for the night, Quinn turned it on. Only one voice mail to go with four missed calls. Not as obnoxious as Ryan could’ve been. She accessed her voice mail and listened.
“Quinn, damn it. I wish you’d answer. I wasn’t trying to tell you what to do. There have been a string of rapes. Some guys are picking up women at neighborhood bars and slipping roofies in their drinks. I was worried.”
The message went on for a few more seconds, but Quinn tuned it out. She felt like an ass. He was worried. She smiled. The thought brought back the feeling of comfort she had when she hugged him at Duffy’s.
Then guilt stabbed at her. She treated him horribly and because of her stubbornness, she had to deal with some creep hitting on her. Ryan had been right again.
Her phone was still cradled in her palm. She itched to call Ryan. Or go see him. She thought of Kate and the problems she was having in her marriage. Quinn didn’t want to be there again. One failed marriage was enough. She could find someone to sleep with anytime if she really tried. It might even be pretty good sex.
But real friendship like she shared with Ryan didn’t come every day.
CHAPTER 19
It was almost midnight. The crowd had thinned and Ryan finally took a moment to sit. He scrubbed his hands over his face. Worry gnawed at his gut. He still hadn’t heard from Quinn.
Jenna laid her serving tray on the bar. She pulled a slip of paper from her apron. “Hey, boss. I forgot to give this to you. She called an hour ago.”
Ryan unfolded the paper as Jenna filled her tray again. It read, “Quinn called. At home. Talk tomorrow.”
The weight he’d carried in his chest for hours loosened. She must’ve finally listened to his message. She was smart enough not to go bar hopping. By tomorrow she wouldn’t even be pissed off anymore.
He looked back at the customers who remained so late on a Wednesday night. Mostly men. Mostly regulars. Mostly trustworthy.
Colin stood behind the bar wiping glasses.
“I’m leaving. You can handle closing, right?”
Colin grunted.
“Make sure Jenna gets to her car safely. Walk her out.”
“Got it.”
“I’m trusting you to not fuck this up.”
Colin put down the glass. “I got it. I’m not the fucking idiot you try to make me out to be.”
“We’ll see. Good night.”
“Yeah.”
Ryan felt heavier with every step he took to his apartment above the bar. He dropped his clothes as he walked to the bedroom. He should’ve taken a nap after making Quinn breakfast. He wasn’t twenty-two anymore.
He crawled into bed. The cool cotton sheets rubbed against him, and he thought back to the warmth of Quinn’s body as they’d slept. He was beginning to think she had a point. Having sex had changed their relationship. He couldn’t decide if the difference was a positive or negative, but he was sure he didn’t want to go back.
When he dragged himself from bed at nine-thirty the following morning, his first thought was coffee. His next was Quinn. He’d wanted to call her before she went to work, but he realized he already missed her.
Back to coffee.
He showered and dressed as quickly as humanly possible, knowing Mary would have good coffee made downstairs. He grabbed his keys and cell phone. He’d forgotten to charge it and he’d missed a call from Quinn.
Dialing voice mail, he hoped the battery would hold out.
“Hey, Ryan. Thanks for the warning last night. If you had told me, I might not have been such a bitch. Anyway, I was hoping you had some free time this afternoon. I need to talk—” The phone went dead. It was enough. She’d thought of calling him before she went to work.
In the bar, Mary had music playing, the local country station. She hummed while she set up the kitchen. She came around the corner and stopped. “You look like crap. What happened?”
“Nothing. Just tired and in need of coffee.” He moved directly to the pot. The first sip scalded the roof of his mouth, but the pain was worth it. There was no reason for him to be tired after eight hours of sleep.
“I got the information all set for our next singles event, if you want to go over it.”
He hid the cringe, afraid to hurt Mary’s feelings, but he remembered the amount of information she’d had for speed dating. “I told you to go ahead and schedule whatever you want. It’s your baby.”
She looked at him over the rim of her coffee cup. “Do my ideas bore you?”
He smiled. “No, but your graphs, charts, and piles of paper do. I trust you.”
“Can I schedule it at Twilight?”
“Sure, I guess.”
“I think the lock-and-key event would fit better at Twilight. We might not even need to block part of the floor.”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “You’re doing it again. Plan it. Put it on my calendar. I’ll be in my office.”
Behind the closed door of his office, he heard the quiet movements of Mary’s setup routine. He stretched out on the couch. He felt sleep pulling at him and searched his brain for a reason to explain the fatigue.
Maggie leaving was a definite stressor.
Rapists prowling his neighborhood.
Wild monkey sex with Quinn. He laughed again at her description.
The long night and early morning with Quinn did him in. They lived opposite schedules. He couldn’t remember what it was like. An occasional date didn’t matter. Long term, they’d have to make adjustments. His fuzzy brain clouded with sleep. A nap couldn’t hurt.
Long term? Where had that come from?
Quinn went to school with the plan of staying only a couple of hours. Part of her regretted taking on Shari’s problems.
It added another complication to her life. She was juggling too many things. Too many balls in the air at once. Her normal locked-tight control had slipped.
Other people wheedled in, tossing extra balls at her. She intended to drop some of those balls today.
After working with Shari
, Quinn planned to meet with Carlson. He’d given the job she wanted to Shari Ackerman and now she wanted him to know how upset it made her. Diplomatically, of course. She wouldn’t risk her job.
Three hours later, frustration still sang through her blood. Shari wasn’t good at thinking on her feet with these kids. Dumping an ill-suited lesson plan terrified her. It took Quinn thirty minutes to convince her winging it was less frightening than having kids zone out and not learn. Funny, since she didn’t know how to wing anything other than teaching.
Quinn counted on her frustration to get her through her meeting with Carlson. Carlson had to know she’d been bothered when passed over for the position. She swallowed that anger months ago, when she saw Shari working with the Honors kids. The job wasn’t a cakewalk and Quinn knew it. But to be pulled back this summer to mentor Shari irritated her. Schedules weren’t set for the upcoming year yet, and she wanted another shot at Shari’s position.
This time she wouldn’t back down. She deserved the chance to not only prove she would be a good fit for the position, but she also deserved the position for doing everything that had ever been asked of her. There had to be some perk for being a team player.
Carlson sat behind his desk with his usual friendly smile. “Hi, Quinn. How’s everything going?”
“All right, I suppose. Shari is a little rigid in her lesson planning, but I think it’s because she’s still new. She’ll be okay.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I knew you’d be able to help her.”
“About that. I wanted to talk about next year.”
He leaned forward, his chair creaking with the repositioning of bulk. “Yes?”
“I want the Honors position next year. I’ve worked my butt off, and I’ve handled any project or task you’ve tossed at me over the years. I want this.”
“I can appreciate that, Quinn. It’s one of the reasons I always feel comfortable passing extra projects your way. I know they’ll be handled. But I already assured Shari that she would have the same classes next year.”
“But I have seniority. I’ve proved myself time and again.” The anger and frustration threatened to bubble out and she’d look like a fool. She inhaled slowly to calm herself.
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