20. Quinn
CHAPTER 20
QUINN
W hen the scent of coffee hits my nose, I’m instantly invigorated.
I thought about canceling on Reid this afternoon after my morning from hell. It had taken the fire department half an hour to arrive at the building and another ten minutes to pry the doors of the elevator open.
By then, Knox and I were no longer speaking. After agreeing to go to his exhibition with him, we chatted shortly about mundane things like the weather and how we think Slate would’ve reacted if he were in our position. That brought some laughs that I drank in greedily, my heart fluttering at the sound. Eventually, we fell into a comfortable silence, after which I spent the rest of the time reorganizing my pile of crumpled papers. I’d propped my sketchbook on my knees and made sure I was careful enough not to flash Knox any of the drawings.
When the doors screeched open, three firefighters stood staring up at us with consoling grins. Turns out, the elevator had stopped halfway between two floors and I had to nervously slide my body from the surface of the elevator to the landing below.
Even Knox looked less than pleased with that, crouching close as if he was going to jump forward and snatch me up should I slip. The firefighters helped me gain my footing before assisting Knox, questioning us and asking if we needed to be looked at by an EMT.
The man who asked me was handsome. Actually, they all were, but there was something about his deep, smooth skin, the dark braids pulled back from his face. His white teeth gleamed with the grin he gave me when he offered his help. I couldn’t help the blush that crawled up my neck. It was once the firemen had made sure that the area was safe and we parted with cheerful goodbyes, that I realized Knox had disappeared.
I should’ve gone back upstairs to my apartment, but the incident left me wired. Instead, I took a few steadying breaths, shot a cursed look at the devil elevator, and took the stairs the last two flights down to the lobby.
I already missed Drawing, but of course I was making perfect time to arrive at Art History, slipping into my seat with one minute to spare before class started. Odie’s shoulders shook as he laughed at my expense, but he quickly zoned fully into the practice test Professor Doff was walking us through.
I’ve never paid such close attention to class in my life.
“Hey,” Reid greets, his colorful eyes roving over the packed coffee house before settling on me. He’s dressed in a pair of loose, gray trousers, and instead of his usual sweater vest that makes him look like the most handsome Teaching Assistant around, he’s wearing a tight black t-shirt, his sweater hooked over his elbow. The weather is in that in-between stage of chilly mornings and warm afternoons. It’s different, seeing him in a color darker than the neutrals that makes his hair appear a ruddy, deep chestnut. The dark shirt looks painted on his skin and I’ve never noticed his musculature before, but I sure am now.
I have to work to move my gaze back up to his.
Reid’s hair is combed back from his face today with a single, unruly wave curling in front of his forehead. His freckles stand out more than usual, the afternoon light drifting in through the window accentuates the speckles.
“Hey.” I stumble over the greeting while distracted by his new wardrobe.
“Missed you this morning,” Reid says, ushering me into the line. It’s longer than I expected it to be, but with all of the pre-weekend partying that seems to go on around the university, I suppose all of the hungover students like me need their pick-me-ups to make it through the rest of the day, so they’re once again ready to drink themselves stupid tonight.
“You probably won’t believe me, but I got stuck in the elevator this morning,” I huff, shuddering at the thought of being trapped in that tiny metal container.
Reid’s jaw drops in shock and I nod, grimacing at the memory.
“Rory mentioned something about it in class. Are you okay?” He laughs and the smile I’m trying to keep tucked inside breaks free. “You made it out, obviously, but holy shit, Quinn, how are you even here right now? I would’ve gone right back to bed!”
Knox’s uncommon niceties and disappearing act had kept me from doing just that.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I tut playfully. “I couldn’t miss Art History. I have no idea what’s going on in the class and Doff sucks ass! I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Romanesque and Gothic cathedral if I’d built them myself,” I grumble, thinking about the answers I got wrong on the last test. Odie’s tutoring hadn’t gone so well, but he promised he’d help me between his own classes and demanding hockey schedule.
Reid snickers. “I’m so glad I don’t have to take that. Instead, I get to enjoy History of Architecture and Urban Design. So, if you think about it, it’s pretty much the same thing.”
“Sounds easier,” I mutter, glaring at the backpack of the person in front of me. “Plus, you’re naturally good at this stuff, Reid. I’m sure you’re killing it.”
The freckles on Reid’s face glow as his cheeks pinken with a blush. It’s cute. “I wouldn’t say all that,” he trails off bashfully, and it’s obvious that he’s being modest.
I step forward with the line, counting the number of customers that still have to order before it’s our turn. Behind the register is a guy who looks like he would rather be anywhere else, and when I catch sight of the letters stitched into his shirt across the breast pocket, marking him as a frat member, I understand why it’s taking so long.
Behind him are two girls scrambling to keep up with the numerous orders coming their way. Unlike the boy at the register, they seem to be a well-oiled machine back there, dancing around each other as if making cappuccinos and lattes is a graceful waltz. I feel a twang of empathy for them even though they seem like they’re thriving back there. I have no idea how they can memorize the different drink orders, making them as efficiently as they can and giving them to the customers within minutes.
This is the kind of pressure I would crack under.
I turn back to Reid with a playful glare. “Oh, come on. You’re one of the smartest people I know!” I don’t miss the way the tips of his ears turn red with my slew of compliments. “It’s one of your better traits.”
This gets his attention, and he blinks down at me, those opposite-colored eyes unimpressed. “I have bad traits?”
“While your intelligence is admirable, your sketching could use some work.” I poke fun at him, referring to the last time we hung out at my place to work on our projects. Instead, we had spent the night watching a terrible reality show with the bottle of wine he’d brought. Reid had followed me into my room where we were supposed to gather my drawing supplies. He had made a joke that had me laughing so hard I nearly cried.
My stomach ached too much to get up after that, the wine making me boneless in my comfortable bed, so the both of us spent the rest of the night there, joking around and not working on our projects.
Reid quirks a brow. “Is that so? Are you offering to be my model so I can practice?”
It’s my turn to blush now, cheeks hotter than the steaming milk screaming behind the counter. My mouth parts though my tongue is a twisted mess from his flirtatious comment, knotted and thick. I’m not sure how to respond, and I’m saved by a very punctual throat clearing that comes from the frat boy behind the register.
“Are either of you planning on ordering?” He asks lazily, tapping a blunt nail against the register. He’s wearing a backwards cap, copper hair poking out from the sides. His brown eyes drag up and down my body, ignoring Reid’s presence completely and I cringe in response.
I snap my mouth shut, teeth clacking together. So kindly said for a boy who probably has pre-workout and porn coursing through his veins .
Reid ushers me to the counter, apologizing for the both of us. “Sorry about that, man.”
The boy behind the register looks bored, Reid’s apology meaning nothing to him. Frat douche leans forward, flashing his teeth at me in what I assume is supposed to be a charming grin.
It’s anything but.
One of the baristas spins on her heel, gauging the way this asshole is looking at me. Her gaze flicks up to Reid and her eyes widen before her lids lower and she glares daggers, ping-ponging between both boys. They’re dark, hair even darker. Her skin is the color of espresso, and I wonder how she puts up with this guy all day.
A crash draws my attention away from boy’s gross gaze. The second barista is frowning, staring down at the shaker she’s dropped to the floor with a clang. The entirety of the coffee house goes silent for a fleeting moment, everyone stopping to see what’s going on, but within seconds, murmurs wind throughout the space as she swoops down to scoop the shaker from the floor, dumping it into the sink.
The brunette turns back to the boy at the register. “Quit it, Mike,” she barks, a can of whipped cream still poised and ready to add to the Frappuccino in her hand. Those dark eyes flit across mine and her mouth tightens. “Please, excuse him.”
Reid glances at her and seems to calm a little, rolling his shoulders. “Quinn, what would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have a mocha with an extra shot and extra whip,” I nearly spit at the frat boy. “Iced.”
With a soft but firm nudge at my lower back, Reid guides me away from the frat rat at the register. I slide down the counter to the pick-up area while Reid pays for our drinks. He joins me a moment later when I’ve managed to take a few breaths. I won’t let that asshole ruin my mood .
“I’m sorry?—”
“Don’t,” I shake my head, cutting Reid off. “Don’t apologize for him. Thank you, for the coffee.”
“It was the least I could do,” my friend replies easily, smiling at me.
While we wait, I scour the shop for somewhere to sit. Booths are packed full with studying students, miss-matched chairs and tables stacked with people and their friends. It’s a frenzy if I’ve ever seen one, but the coffee house is a sanctuary for university students, especially during the afternoon hours.
By tonight, the shop will be barren, with all of the patrons getting their caffeine fixes through vodka Red Bulls instead.
“You’re taller,” I comment. “Do you see any open spots that I can’t?” I ask, because there should be more seating behind the loitering line I can barely see over.
Reid scans the coffee house as one of the baristas brings our drinks over to the counter. It’s the one with the hazelnut eyes again. She’s staring me down, a harsh look on her face that I can’t decipher if it’s concentration or annoyance. I can’t blame her if it’s either, focused on the tasks at hand, slinging coffees left and right.
She has every right to be annoyed with the customers who ask for thirteen extra shots of syrup or her coworker who apparently doesn’t know how to speak to women. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s made comments to the girls he’s working alongside, but I’m pretty sure that the one who slams our cups onto the counter with a little too much force can hold her own.
I frown, but she’s already turning away, starting the next order.
“There’s a table by the window,” Reid points to the corner of the room. I lead the way, a bounce in my step as I move quickly so no one snatches it.
“What a day,” I sigh, finally relaxing into the cushy seat. I place my drink on the low table between us, and while it’s not the best seat to get work done in, I’m happy to be unwinding before the weekend, chatting with my friend.
Reid snorts at me, taking a sip of his drink. I watch his throat bob around the swallow and I promptly avert my gaze, looking outside the window instead.
There are students walking by in a flurry, a third of them trying to stuff themselves through the coffee shop doors. A woman with a stroller and a dog that’s almost as small as my drink. A few girls all staring down at a single phone with beaming smiles on their faces.
“So, what are your plans this weekend?” I ask, playing with the straw in my drink, swirling the ice around and watching the milk incorporate with the tawny coffee.
Reid releases out a long-suffering sigh that has me peeking over at him.
“I’m supposed to be having another family dinner this weekend, but I’m dreading the ride back with my father and brother.”
“I’m sorry,” I offer sympathetically. Reid shrugs my condolences off. It’s not a topic he favors talking about, but I’m still curious about his family. “Does your brother go here?”
He sets his cup down, wiping his palms down his trousers as he clears his throat. He looks like he’s preparing himself for war, with the way that he’s bracing himself, and I almost feel worse for asking.
“I have three older brothers, actually,” Reid says and I nearly spit out my drink. Three brothers? I had no idea. “And two of them have gone here, too. ”
“Wow, your family really likes this place,” I mutter.
“Yeah, well, my father is the head of the engineering college here.”
“Oh, so you’re like Vulcan University royalty,” I tease and he rolls his eyes, shooting me a playful glare.
“If I was studying engineering, I would be,” he says, moving that glare down to his coffee. His shoulders are tight and I’m sensing that he doesn’t want to talk about it, but he continues nonetheless. “Colt, my eldest brother, is getting his Masters in Nuclear engineering, and I’m going into architecture, which, and I quote, ‘is for people who can’t solve a differential equation.’”
I refrain from mentioning that I have no idea what the fuck a differential equation is, but Reid must read it clear on my face because he cracks a smile.
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“So, you’re telling me that all of your brothers are engineers?” I ask, because the odds of that happening must be some crazy statistic. Almost as crazy as having four sons and zero daughters or knowing how to solve a differential equation.
Across the shop, the bell above the door chimes again, signaling the arrival of more patrons. It’s as if I can feel the air shifting with the new presence, coming alive. The feeling draws my attention to the door, where Knox and Mandy have just walked in.
Like a magnet, Knox’s gaze finds mine, bright and lush.
It makes me want to shrink back in my seat with the way that they flick beside me to see who I’m with.
The green of his eyes splinters and I can see the way his shoulders tighten from across the room. Mandy must sense the shift in Knox’s mood because she’s looking around, chocolate eyes pinched together in a threatening way, as if she’ll verbally spar with anyone who makes Knox even a bit uncomfortable.
When her eyes snag on mine, her red-painted lips part in a genuine smile.
All I can muster is a soft grin and a lame wave in response, stomach knotting like I’ve been caught having public sex with Reid under Knox’s cold glare.
I pull my focus back to my friend with all my might, but I can still feel him watching me like a hawk.
“Not entirely,” Reid shrugs, scooting his chair closer to mine now that the coffee shop noise has gone up with the post-lunch time rush. “Colt is studying for his masters; Foxe is on scholarship at St. Gerald’s for wrestling, but on paper he’s a communications major, which is funny because every time he talks to someone in the family there’s always some type of arguing.” He rolls his eyes but the smile that accompanies it tells me that he favors Foxe. “He’s never cared about what anyone thinks about him anyway, which is a trait I wish I had.”
“Me too,” I sigh, placing a hand on his knee empathetically. “Are you close to him?”
“Used to be,” Reid shrugs a little. “Oakland is in the Netherlands, taking the semester to study bridge structure. Boring, I know.” He laughs at the face I make. “And I’m in architecture.”
“Damn,” I curse, impressed. “I’m not sure if I’m more shocked by the fact that your entire family are a bunch of geniuses or that two of your brothers are named after animals.”
My joke seems to crack the heaviness of the conversation. It’s clear that whatever kind of relationships he shares with his father and brothers is a bit strained, but Reid laughs comfortably as we burst into giggles .
“See, this is why I like you, Quinn. You’re very easy to talk to.”
“Don’t forget funny,” I chuckle, pairing it with a cheesy grin.
“Right, how could I forget. Funniest person I’ve ever met,” he jokes, nudging me with his shoulder.
“Hey,” I whine, shoving him right back. “It’s true! I would never lie about something like that!”
Reid smiles broadly, taking another sip of his drink. “You’re right, I’ll give you that one. But what about you? Any plans this weekend?”
My stomach bottoms out at the thought of my plans. I’m going to Knox’s exhibition tomorrow, someone who I’ve been beefing with since the start of the year. We’ve only just squashed our issues this morning, so why on Earth did I say yes? Do I really want to spend my Saturday evening with someone who I’m not even sure I can make it through the night without arguing with?
Parting my lips to answer, I’m cut off by a looming figure. Peering upwards, I already know what I’m going to find. Maybe I jumped at the opportunity to spend the one-on-one time with Knox because I want to figure my handsome neighbor out. Knox stands before us, his sharp jaw set in a firm line, eyes blazing like a thousand fires. There’s a steaming hot coffee in his hand and I find myself wondering what his order is. I can only assume it’s plain black coffee like the attire he’s dressed in. Mandy stands a step behind, a sly smirk on her lips that she’s not trying very hard to hide.
“I’ll pick you up at six thirty tomorrow night.” His voice is cold and I frown in response. Reid looks confused, staring up at my neighbor as if he recognizes him from somewhere but can’t quite pinpoint it.
I nod shallowly, cheeks hot at the look on Knox’s face. I don’t know why I feel like I’ve been caught in the act of doing something I shouldn’t, but him interrupting Reid and I like this is none of his business. He has my number; he could have texted me instead. “Okay.”
Knox stares at me a moment longer, then twists on his heel and stalks away, completely ignoring the glare Reid’s shooting him and abandoning Mandy.
I follow his form, watching the way he moves with such grace. The crowd parts for him, more sets of hungry eyes trailing after him just like mine. All of the attention on him sends a hot stab of jealousy to my gut. I tear my gaze away, shifting to Mandy, who beams brightly.
“So nice to meet you last night, Quinn.” She winks, looking like she knows something that I don’t. “I hope to see you again soon.” With a flourish of her blonde hair over her shoulder, she trails Knox out of the coffee shop, just as many eyes following her as there were following him.
“Was that your neighbor?” Reid asks, slumping back in his chair. “I thought you didn’t like the guy.”
I might have complained about him when Reid come over to my apartment the night he told me he ran into Slate and Knox in the hall.
“Yeah,” I answer weakly, reaching for my cup again. The words taste funny in my mouth as they come out. “We’re working on it.”