Chapter 5
Quinn
Now
She took the time to analyze the schedule, mapping out the breakout sessions she would attend (there was one on Wednesday afternoon on maintaining mental health in ever-changing environments that she was particularly excited about).
She’d even taken a photo of her planned agenda to send to Mel, knowing she was diligent with her Do Not Disturb and wouldn’t respond until the morning.
But seriously…what was she doing here? Even bidding to be a part of this had been insane.
To be fair, she honestly hadn’t thought that they would be selected.
Their application was solid, the video pitch was good, but it was the long shot aspect of it, the absurdity of the idea that they’d be chosen, that led her to apply. At least, mostly…
And dragging Mel into this mess, not giving her any sort of heads up…
that was the worst of it, really. Her friend didn’t deserve to be put in that situation.
They’d spoken for a few minutes about it the night before, over a quick drink, but Quinn knew that Mel was upset.
And, of course, she was. Who wouldn’t be?
Quinn pulled the emergency stop on the treadmill and hopped off. She jumped in place a few times, trying to shake off the feeling that she’d completely let someone down, someone she cared about very much.
“You are a mess,” Mel called out, walking into the gym.
She was not there to exercise, that much was clear, given that she was already in her professional outfit for the day, a monochromatic black number with pleated pants, a snug double-breasted vest, button-up shirt, and tie.
The masculine outfit was feminized by elegant makeup, mostly subtle but with soft ‘siren eyes.’ Quinn had never been a makeup person, it just didn’t fit her personal aesthetic, but she had the utmost respect for the amount of time and effort that other people put in, not just to applying cosmetics but also learning the latest trends and techniques.
“You are sleek as hell,” Quinn replied. Her friend wasn’t wrong about her, but damn, Mel looked good.
“I know, right? I’m so handsome.”
Quinn nodded, grabbing her water bottle out of the holder in the treadmill and taking a swig. “I feel kind of like a mess, honestly. ”
Mel smiled, one of her genuine grins, made even more special because of how rare they were. “Do you want to talk?”
“Of course,” Quinn said, because what else could she say. She had screwed up and needed to deal with it.
She followed Mel out of the gym, down a long hallway towards the front of the hotel. There was a pair of burgundy barrel chairs tucked to the side of one walkway, just off the lobby, and Mel planted herself in one of the seats, signaling for Quinn to join her.
“I’m sorry,” Quinn said before Mel could speak.
Her friend waited for her to go on, a single eyebrow raised.
“I fucked up. I should have told you how complicated this was going to be for me before we got here. At any point, really: when we submitted the bid; when we got selected; when we were on the freaking airplane to come here. I’m sorry. ”
“You’re a worm,” Mel added, before smiling again at her. “Dude, we’re going to be okay. I get it, we’ve all done stupid things because of a beautiful woman.”
“She is gorgeous, right?” Quinn responded, appreciating the brief aside. Despite everything that happened, she couldn’t stop herself from throwing that admission out into the universe.
“So pretty,” Mel agreed. “And, hey, I’ve had time to reflect—"
“And hook up with the cute girl from the front desk,” Quinn interjected.
“That may have had a minor impact on my mood,” Mel said, her sly smirk returning. “I’m going to choose to forgive you. I’ll be honest, though… The thought I keep coming back to is just… I cannot believe that Quinn ‘Perpetual Nice Guy’ Miles did something so douchey like springing this on me.”
“No, I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”
“I think I’ve come to respect it, actually,” Mel said, and Quinn was pretty sure that she meant it. “But I will hold this over your head for the rest of the week. I’ll probably be over it by the time we fly back to Detroit. ”
“That’s totally fair,” Quinn allowed, though she was obviously aware that it wasn’t up to her.
“And I want to understand, like…what’s the plan here,” Mel said, and she gestured her hands around in a large circle, as if to indicate the hotel, the conference, the awkward situation all at once.
“Absolutely nothing changes,” Quinn assured her.
“We’re here to make connections with J&P, along with their vendors/suppliers.
We’re here to get the Prism name out and try to drum up business for the group.
We’re here to show them how we can develop different types of trainings, facilitate workshops, and—"
“Look damn good doing it,” Mel interrupted, as if that’s actually what she thought Quinn was going to say.
“Sure, that’s obvious,” Quinn agreed, laughing.
“That sounds good,” Mel said. She thought for a moment before she added, with a sigh, “I need you to get your head out of your ass, though. If you aren’t in this, we’re not going to be successful.”
“That’s also fair,” Quinn replied carefully. “I think I just needed to get seeing her again for the first time over with. I’ll be better.”
“Are we at all concerned that her father is floating around here?” Mel asked. “And why do I feel like I’m in high school having to put that out there?”
“I don’t think there’s a concern at all with him putting this together,” Quinn assured her friend, before adding sadly, “She wouldn’t have told him anything about us.”
Mel nodded, and there was another extended pause before she spoke. “So…do you want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?” Quinn asked, trying to be stoic.
“Dude, you can try to be tough all you want. I need you to, given the position we find ourselves in,” Mel said. “But I remember how you were when we met, how much whatever happened between you was still messing with you, what…like a year later?”
Ah, yes. That.
Yet again…fair.
Quinn and Liv had gone their separate ways at the end of their senior year of college, and Quinn hadn’t exactly taken it well.
After graduation, she took her first job, working in the human resources department for an insurance company based not far from where they’d gone to school.
She’d basically done nothing but work, that entire first year, but it still wasn’t enough to fill her time, so she found herself volunteering on weekends for the local swim club, and then, when she still wasn’t quite busy enough, she applied for the MBA program back at Livingston, adding classes to her already packed schedule.
At that point, she was finally too busy to think about everything that had happened with her and Liv. She could bury all of it in the back of her mind and try for some semblance of normalcy. It had taken a long time for her to get over everything.
Because she was obviously so completely over it all now.
“That era of Quinn was unpleasant,” Mel said, and Quinn knew she was daring her to disagree. “You were in a terrible place.”
“I was.” She certainly didn’t have an argument on this one.
“You were desperate for a friend,” Mel added.
“You’re not wrong,” Quinn agreed.
“And for a fuck,” Mel added.
“I’m not sure ‘desperate’ is the word I’d use there,” Quinn said, her ears tinged pink.
“I mean, you almost slept with me,” Mel teased, as if either of them could have ever forgotten that night, a story that was terrible and amusing and just plain dumb, all at once.
And so very awkward, at least in the moment.
Their first time hanging out outside of class, they were supposed to be studying in Mel’s apartment, but they’d gotten drunk instead, trying desperately to deal with their own respective ghosts, or to ignore them, depending on the moment.
They had kissed—Quinn’s first kiss after Liv—but luckily, Quinn had come to her senses enough, just before the tipping point, to pull away, and they both became acutely aware that it wasn’t what either of them needed in that moment.
And not having sex, in a way, solidified their fledgling friendship.
“To be fair, I acknowledge that I was also kind of a mess,” Mel added.
Quinn guffawed, a loud, guttural sound emanating from her belly. “Kind of?”
“I mean, not as bad as you, obviously,” Mel replied, which, frankly, was not remotely close to correct, as far as Quinn was concerned. But it wasn’t exactly the time to argue with her friend, and anyway, her face had turned serious again. “What are you hoping for here, with her?”
Quinn winced. “Nothing? Of course? She’s…married.”
Mel watched her for several quiet moments before she snorted. “My God, dude, you are something else.”
“I know.” Quinn knew it was beyond embarrassing that she’d dragged them into this.
“Did you talk to her? I saw her sitting at the bar last night.”
“I did,” Quinn said. “I apologized.”
Mel made a face of pure disgust. “Okay, I hate that.”
“I was incredibly rude yesterday,” Quinn replied, still feeling guilty.
“Blah blah blah, you’ve never done a thing wrong in your life,” Mel said, before adding, “Other than…you know. This nonsense with not telling me important shit.”
“Right,” Quinn said, but at least Mel was being a bit lighthearted with it.
“So, I don’t know what happened between you two. I know that she’s evil— ”
“She’s not,” Quinn said softly.
“As your best friend, it’s my prerogative to hate anyone who has hurt you.”
Quinn grinned at her. “I love you, you big softie.”
“Oh, we are not doing that,” Mel said with a shudder.
For her, casual intimacy was one thing. Quinn honestly wasn’t sure how many sexual partners her friend had had, not that it was any of her business one way or the other, but she was aware that the number was not small.
Intimacy with people she cared about, however---—not an especially large group, though Quinn was proud to be a part of it—was difficult for Mel, in ways she couldn’t, wouldn’t , explain.
“I don’t know what happened between you two.
And you don’t have to tell me anything. But I do expect you to take care of yourself, or to reach out if that she-witch gets you down. ”
Quinn rolled her eyes. Mel really didn’t know anything about the situation at all, except that she’d been hurt by someone that she’d known in undergrad named Liv, someone who she’d had feelings for.
She probably owed her more of an explanation, especially after her fuck up this week, and especially if she was going to call Liv things like “evil” and “she-witch,” which…
Even in the thick of it, even when she was the most devastated, she wouldn’t have let those words slide, wouldn’t have let anyone talk about Liv like that.
They’d both made mistakes. They’d both been hurt.
“I’ll let you know if I need anything,” Quinn promised.
“Thank you,” Mel replied. “Okay. I’m emotionally exhausted now, so I’d like a break from you. Please go get cute. We have very important businessing to do.”
Quinn rolled her eyes again, but she followed Mel’s directions, entirely grateful for their friendship.