8. Alex
8
ALEX
I can still taste the remnants of Quinn’s peppermint lip balm on my mouth as she leads me through the ground level and then stops me near the split amongst the hallways. Surprised, I eye her and look back.
“We should probably keep going,” I warn. “Those kids are fast, and time’s running out.”
“I know…” she hems slowly. “But I have a weird proposition. Feel free to say no, though.”
I arch an eyebrow, my eyes darting back down the corridor toward the basketball courts, where I’m sure the teens will be on our trail any second. “Sure… but you better speak quickly because those kids are pretty quick, too.”
“I know… but I think we should let them win.”
Flabbergasted, I gape at her. “You do?”
She laughs. “Well, assuming they get the last clue on time. I know that the answer is in the boxing gym. I bet if we go look, there will be mistletoe hanging in there. Foe being sparring partner… I think that fits.”
I look over her shoulder and realize her solution makes sense.
“We’ll hide out and wait to see if they get it on time,” she suggests. “If they don’t, we’ll go claim it for ourselves, but if they do…” She trails off and eyes me imploringly. “You don’t have to agree. I’m the one who dragged you all over the park today, determined to win this, so I don’t blame you if you want to claim the prize for yourself.”
“No, I think it’s amazing you’re willing to give up the win… but what made you change your mind?”
Quinn leans against the cream-painted cinder blocks and folds her arms over her chest, cocking her head to the side. “They’ve been working really hard all day.”
“So have you,” I remind her.
“I know. But this isn’t about me—or winning, not really. I didn’t volunteer for this because I wanted to win. Not initially, anyway. It was supposed to be about community involvement, about Christmas. Watching those teenagers enjoying themselves, smiling and holding hands, laughing—that’s what the whole thing is really about. I think I let my competitiveness blind me to that a bit.”
“A bit,” I tease, and she drops her arms to her side.
“Okay, a lot,” she concedes, lowering her head. “It’s something I need to work on.”
I step closer to her and brush a strand of hair out of her face, but as I do, footsteps scurry down the hall.
“I don’t think they found it yet!” the boy cries out. “We have to run, babe! I think we might win this still!”
Quinn and I duck out of view as the teenagers streak past toward the boxing gym, and their excited shrieks ricochet down the halls, announcing their win.
“We found it! It’s the only one! We did it! We did it!”
I peek at Quinn’s face, and she’s glowing as if she won the prize herself.
“Come on,” she murmurs, stepping out from behind the wall as the other teams flock toward the lobby, groaning and congratulating the winners in unison.
We’re caught up in the mob of teams, a reporter from Holly Ridge Times appearing to take a photo of the lucky winners with Edna, who summons the group volunteers to the front.
“If I have to pose, all of you have to pose,” she insists, and we begrudgingly take her side with the teens, who grin happily between us. My initial dismay about the publicity has dissipated next to the kids, their excitement infectious.
The young girl pulls me aside as the group disperses, eager to attend the start of the festival. I want to see Quinn before she goes, but I don’t want to be rude to the winner.
“Well done,” I tell her.
“Didn’t you have the answer to the last clue?” she asks me. “We thought you guys were going toward the boxing gym.”
My eyes dart away. I don’t want to lie to her, but I also don’t want to confess that we let them win. No good will come of diminishing their win.
“We got sidetracked on the way,” I reply. She appears content with that response, and I congratulate her again. “I think the mayor is looking for you two.”
I turn to look for Quinn, but as the community center empties, I find myself standing with Drew and a few others alone.
“I was sure you and Quinn were going to win,” the mayor tells me. “What happened?”
The feel of her kiss remains, but Quinn is long gone, without saying goodbye in the aftermath of the scavenger hunt.
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly, but I hope to find out.
The festival officially opens its doors at five, but the players from the scavenger hunt wander through the booths, anyway, chatting up friends and neighbors or cooing at the decorations in Santa’s workshop.
As I scour the vast lawn looking for Quinn, I end up finding my partner instead.
“Did you win?” Catalina asks, striding toward me in her patrol uniform. “Are you the scavenger hunt master?”
“Not this year,” I chuckle. “I thought you were off this weekend.”
“Some of us have to pick up the slack while others are out playing games,” she teases playfully. A spark of guilt shoots through me, and she catches my expression. “Nah, Collins called in today. I don’t mind the overtime. It’s an easy gig. And I’m off tomorrow. I’ll be here for the tree lighting ceremony. That’s the best part, anyway.”
“See? You should have done the hunt after all,” I jest. “I got the better deal.”
“I probably would have won it, too,” she retorts, and I snort. “Where’s your pretty partner?”
“Who? What?” I ask, although I know immediately who she’s talking about.
“Quinn, is it?” Catalina drawls. “She likes you.”
Interested, my eyebrows raise. “What makes you say that?”
“I’m a cop, Roth. Reading people is literally what I do for a living. Plus, she was giving me a look when I ran into you at Holly Beans.”
I laugh dubiously. “A look?” I repeat. “What look was that?”
Catalina raises her chin and gestures. “That look.”
I follow her eyes and see Quinn across the lawn, watching us from beneath one of the barren maples. Relief rushes through me.
“Excuse me.”
“Uh huh,” she chirps. “Have fun!”
I hurry toward the schoolteacher, but as I get closer, I read the wary expression on her face. “Hey, I thought you left.”
“No… well, I’m about to go,” she replies. “Did you need something?”
“I… yeah,” I blurt out. “I thought we could go somewhere and talk. We didn’t really get a chance to do that—I mean, not without getting interrupted every two seconds.”
Snowflakes swirl around her dark hair, landing on the back of her mittens as she considers my offer. “I should get home,” she murmurs. “I have some class prep to do. I missed the teacher planning day today.”
Disappointment swells through me, the elation of the kiss dissipating as I realize it may have been a one-off. “So… is that it?” I ask her quietly. She raises her head and peers at me pensively.
“I… I don’t know,” she answers. “I guess it’s a lot to process. I wasn’t really expecting any of what happened today. I could use some time to think about it.”
Swallowing, I nod. “That’s fair. I won’t pressure you. But I would like to sit down and talk—really talk—when you feel up to it.”
She bobs her head slowly. “Okay.” Awkwardly, Quinn turns to leave, but hesitates. “Will you be here tomorrow? For the tree lighting ceremony?”
“Yes.”
She gives me a tentative smile. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you then.”
I watch her wander off, my chest tightening as she disappears through the ever-growing crowd.
There has to be a way to show her that I’m not the man she thinks I am.