I can read between the lines.
Quinton thought I was coming to try to sleep with him because people actually approach him to try to sleep with him.
“I guess I can see that happening. I mean, I am a woman on the Internet so I’ve gotten my share of unsolicited dick pics.”
“Are they ever not unsolicited?” Brynn asks.
That is the question of a person well versed in the subject of dick pics.
I also assume it’s rhetorical, because really. They’re never solicited.
“So women approaching him in public is like getting a dick pic in his life?”
“What an odd conversation to come in the middle of.” Liv slides into the chair next to me.
“Oh! Hi!” I lean over and give her a hug. “You’ve never come into a room unnoticed before.”
“Well, I was prepared to shout, but then I heard the subject at hand and decided to keep my mouth closed.” She grabs the menu from me, but the gleam in her eyes lets me know she’s not finished. “As one does when dicks are being thrown around.”
“Alright! Topic change!” I can’t hear that word again. Ever. In life. “Brynn, this is Liv. Liv, this is Brynn. We were just discussing my lunch meeting with Quinton and how it started as a disaster.”
Liv’s eyes triple in size and for the first time, concern crosses her face. “He didn’t try to—”
“No, no. Not even close.” I cut her off before she lets herself go there.
Olivia’s shoulders sag in relief, and guilt causes mine to fall along with hers.
My experience at my last job wasn’t a great one. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to work in sports. And being raised by a man who never questioned or doubted my intelligence or capabilities at working in the sports world, I’d say I was woefully underprepared for what awaited me. The harassment I dealt with, in part because of my gender, part because of my ethnicity, was terrible on a good day. And considering my dad was diagnosed with cancer while I was there, it was soul crushing.
Liv stood by me every step of the way. Even coming over to force me into the shower when things got really bad. Even though I know she’s happy for me for landing my dream job, I know she’s holding her breath, terrified that I’ll fall apart again.
And Brynn, like the bartending goddess that she is, clearly reads the change of tone. “You know what?” She pulls out two martini glasses from beneath the bar. “I think we need cocktails before we continue. What are you ladies drinking? This one’s on me.”
Liv perks up immediately.
Hey. We’re millennials. Home ownership might not ever be in the plans for most of us, so we find pleasure where we can. And a complimentary cocktail is definitely one of them.
“I love everything I’ve ever had from here.” Liv pushes away the menu. “Gin is my booze of choice. Could you surprise me?”
“Oh my goodness!” Brynn practically vibrates with glee. “Yes! None of my friends will drink gin, so I’ve needed a person like you to experiment with!”
I can see the dreams of unlimited free cocktails floating across Liv’s face and just like that, all fears of me again falling apart have disappeared.
“What about you?” Brynn looks at me over her shoulder as she reaches for a bottle of Bombay Sapphire. “Wanna be a test dummy?”
“As much fun as that sounds”—I do have a secret dream of having a drink named after me—“I think I need to stick with comfort today . . . and with something that I know won’t result in a hangover. Scotch on the rocks, please.”
Her hand freezes above the gin. “Seriously?”
I glance at Liv, who is giving me the “I told you only old white dudes order that and you need a new drink” look, before cringing a bit and looking back to Brynn. “Yeah, I’m a whiskey girl.”
“This is even better than the gin! I’ve been wanting to have a whiskey tasting for so long and nobody will do one with me!” She grabs the gin and spins around to face us. “I’ve been buying all of the stuff to do one. Maxwell is going to be so excited that I found someone else to push this on. He hates the stuff, but humors me.”
“I’m in.” At the mention of Maxwell, I’m reminded that I have my own Mustangs player I need to humor me. “But maybe make mine a single for now. I’m meeting with Quinton again tomorrow and my career literally depends on it.”
“Well.” Brynn puts away one martini glass and pulls out a lowball glass before ignoring my request for a single. She pours a healthy serving of a scotch I haven’t heard of before and drops in a couple of whiskey stones. “Lucky for you, I consider myself something of a Mustangs expert and I do my best work with a drink in hand.”
“I may not know anything about the Mustangs,” Liv chimes in, “but I am an Elliot Reed expert, so I think we have you covered.”
I freaking hope so. Because I have a feeling Quinton is not going to make this easy on me and I’m going to need help from somewhere . . .
And good scotch and friends is always a solid starting point.
Six
When Quinton gave me the address to where he wanted me to meet him, I assumed it was for another restaurant. Guess I’m the ass now.
Because parking on this super residential street in front of a house, not a business of any kind, I realize that Quinton Howard Junior might’ve given me his address . . . to his house . . . where he lives . . . and sleeps . . . maybe naked.
His house is exactly where I thought it would be. I remember all those years ago when Gavin Pope came to play for the Mustangs. He bought a condo not far from where I grew up. Granted, his condo cost probably triple what my childhood home was worth, but it was still exciting that he lived close.
Quinton, on the other hand, lives in the suburbs of all suburbs. Like, I think they built this subdivision because other suburbs weren’t suburby enough. I passed seven Starbucks, two megachurches, and one private school once I got off the highway. On the plus side, I now know of two new spin gyms because the one by my place is always packed and I’m never able to get into any classes. And because it’s in the suburbs, it could only be reached by the tollway, so I didn’t have to deal with traffic and I get to send the bill to the Mustangs.
I will give it to him, though; even though the location wouldn’t be my top choice, his house is pretty amazing. It looks like a super modern cabin that you’d find in Vail or Breckenridge or any of those other places I never go to, but maybe would if I could sit inside a house like this and look at the snow instead of being in it. The exterior is all wood, black steel, and glass. The only stone is the intricate paving of his driveway and the chimney jutting out of the roof.