Love Squared

by A. E. Neal

  The bus arrived a block from the Beckett building right on time, allowing her to stop at her favorite coffee shop before she headed into work. The cafe was busy; business men and women lined up in front of the counter to place their orders as several others crowded small bistro tables with their laptops, smartphones and tablets.

  The sight of them made her smile, since she still owned the same flip phone she bought three years ago. She never had the need to text, didn't possess a Facebook account and had no clue what the hell Pinterest was when Hannah mentioned it to her.

  She had always admired men in business suits and there wasn't a shortage of them in the coffee shop that morning. She had her eye on a particular guy at the front of the line. He had clean cut, short chestnut hair and wore a dark gray Armani suit. Her gaze followed the perfectly tailored lines of his suit and saw that he was angrily talking into the Bluetooth device attached to his ear.

  Lost in her daydream over the hunk at the front of the line, she hadn't noticed the gap between herself and the counter. Before she was stoned to death by iPhone wielding hipsters, she shook her head lightly and took a few steps forward. It was a close call for sure, but luckily she made it unscathed.

  "Morning," the caffeine-loaded barista said.

  "Hi. Can I have a large Chai tea, no milk, please?"

  "You mean Venti?" she asked.

  "Sure, whatever your large is. That's fine."

  Quinn caught the woman rolling her eyes at her as if she’d committed a coffee ordering sin by ordering a large and not some bullshit size that made no sense.

  "Plain? No whip?"

  "That's right, just plain," Quinn replied as she took her order down.

  "Five-sixty-eight. Name, please?"

  "Quinn," she said and handed her six dollars.

  She dropped the change in Quinn’s hand and instructed her to wait at the end of the counter for her drink.

  She nudged her way through the crowd forming at the counter, taking a spot out of the way and leaned back against the wall. The business guy she had her eye on was next to her, tapping his foot wildly on the ground as he spoke clearly into his Bluetooth.

  "I already told you, if we make the move on the Kimball account now, they'll have no choice, but to sell," he paused, looking quite annoyed. "Yeah...yeah. I'm right around the corner, I'll be there in a minute. Yeah...okay, bye." He pressed a button on the side of the device and shook his head.

  The Kimball account was one of the portfolios she’d been working on the previous day and wondered if it was just a coincidence or if her ears were playing tricks on her. As her mind flooded with questions to ask the mystery man, she bit her tongue, not allowing curiosity to get the best of her.

  "James!" the woman behind the counter called holding up a large cup of coffee.

  Quinn looked around for the man in question, but he never showed his face.

  "James! Grande cinnamon dolce!" she yelled again.

  The man standing next to her, the same man she’d been gawking, stepped forward and snatched the cup from the woman’s hand. "It's Jaysen. J-A-Y-S-E-N," he scolded, turning to walk away.

  His rich, honey-colored gaze caught Quinn’s briefly and her cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment. She tilted her head slightly to watch Jaysen step out onto the busy street outside.

  "Lynn!" the woman shouted.

  As he disappeared behind the wall blocking her view of his glorious muscled behind, a lady nudged her arm.

  "Lynn! Venti Chai, no whip!"

  "I think that's me, sorry. It's Quinn, with a 'Q'," she corrected her but the woman just ignored her.

  She took the cup and hurried out of the cafe, hoping that she’d find the man who made her heart skip a beat, but he was already gone. She checked her watch and realized she was five minutes late to work.

  Quinn jogged, balancing the hot drink in her hand so it wouldn't spill as she rounded the corner and stopped in front of the Beckett building. She took a deep breath and hurried towards the bank of elevators near the end of the lobby.

  Chapter 3

  Thankfully Hollingsworth hadn't noticed she was late. Hannah strolled in ten minutes after Quinn did, looking hung over and exhausted. Although, Quinn hadn't asked, Hannah voluntarily recapped the previous night. Which included all the things Quinn knew she should have done with her twenty-two-year-old body when she had the chance. She knew being twenty-eight wasn't so bad, she hadn't felt like she was getting any older and with her birthday in a few months, she was preparing to embrace it with open arms.

  Hannah and her friends were like a group of well manicured, debutants who went searching for their mates like female praying mantis'. Quinn was reminded of a movie she’d seen once called Mean Girls, as she pictured Hannah at the helm as Regina George, barking orders to her friends, and it made Quinn glad she didn't have any friends. For such a large city, she didn't see the need to make friends with anyone, considering she didn't have much of a social life growing up either.

  An hour into Hannah's story, Quinn found herself daydreaming about Jaysen, laying on the beach next to her as they soaked in the brilliant sunshine together and ordered bottomless drinks from the cabana boy.

  The waves crashed against the shoreline causing the sea to spray them with tiny droplets of water that beaded on their bare, tanned skin. Jaysen blinked as some of the water got in his gorgeous, honey-colored eyes and she reached over to wipe it away. His arms were toned, but not ridiculously muscular. His jaw was chiseled in all the right places and she noticed when he smiled, a dimple formed on his left cheek. He was like one of those models she'd seen in magazines: sculpted abs, amazing smile, and a smooth chest she’d love to run her fingertips over just so she could feel his heartbeat underneath.

  He propped himself on an elbow, reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She nuzzled against his hand and closed her eyes.

  "Are you even listening to me?" Hannah snapped.

  Quinn blinked and the beach scene disappeared, the sound of waves crashing were replaced with the sound of keyboards clicking and instead of Jaysen's face, Hannah sat with her arms crossed over her chest, scowling.

  "Huh?" Quinn asked, squaring her shoulders.

  "I swear, it's like I'm talking to myself half the time. You don't even listen to me."

  "Sorry, Han. I just...uh...have a lot on my mind."

  She shrugged. "You really need to talk to Hollingsworth about that vacation, you look really...um...burned out."

  "Thanks," Quinn said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

  Once again she found herself doing Hannah's clean up from the day before and it was nearly three o'clock by the time she'd straightened out her mistakes. Quinn pulled the next file in front of her, rubbing her temples, then taking her glasses off. The numbers were beginning to blur together and she had yet to take a lunch break.

  "Han, you mind covering for me, so I can go grab a bite to eat?" she asked, not realizing her cubicle-mate was no longer at her desk.

  Quinn stood up, stretching her arms over her head and scanned the office for the perky blonde. She was nowhere to be seen and she knew there was no way she could leave without Hollingsworth knowing.

  She cursed under her breath, smoothed the fabric of her blouse and headed for the break room. As always, the vending machine was almost empty, leaving only a few bags of potato chips and a couple of candy bars. She slipped a dollar bill into the slot and punched in the number for a bag of chips. She waited as the arm pushed the bag to the edge, catching it between the glass and the shelf it sat on.

  "Figures," she mumbled and gave it a light tap. The bag didn't budge and she was left with no money and a growling stomach.

  She peeked into the refrigerator, hoping someone had left a stray cup of yogurt or pudding behind, but it was completely empty.

  "Crap," she said, slamming the door closed.

  Defeated, Quinn returned to her desk and searched through the drawers for something to curb her appetite. She p
ulled a bag of stale gummy bears from the back of the drawer. They were hard, but she figured if she sucked on them long enough, they'd soften up and keep her growling stomach at bay until the end of the day.

  An hour later, Hannah returned with a smile that spread from cheek to cheek.

  "Oh. My. God," she said, sliding her chair next to Quinn. "You'll never believe what just happened. Guess?"

  Quinn shot her an annoyed glance. "I give up. What?"

  "So, you remember a few weeks ago when the girls in the copy room were talking about Mr. Beckett's office?" Quinn nodded. "Turns out, it's not only just his office. They said he has an apartment up there too. You just can't see it, because it overlooks the west side of the city and has a separate guarded entrance, but you'd never know by looking at it. Cindy said she had to deliver a package to him yesterday and his bodyguard had to meet her in the foyer. She said she only got a glimpse of it from outside the door, but she saw a huge four-poster bed in the middle of the room." She sighed. "What I wouldn't give to see it up close and personal. Wouldn't you? I hear Mr. Beckett is hot."

  Quinn tilted her head to the side. "Hot?"

  "Yeah. Cindy said he's the quintessential definition of tall, dark and handsome."

  "I doubt it. No middle-aged CEO I've ever met could be classified as hot. Don't get your hopes up," Quinn said, but was just as curious as the rest of the girls in the office. She wondered if he was handsome in a Brad Pitt kind of way or more like a Johnny Depp, bad boy, older man, kind of way.

  "Your cheeks are all flushed," Hannah teased as Quinn pictured the two men in her mind.

  Quinn turned around to face her computer, she didn't have time to daydream about Hollywood hunks, she had work to do and plenty of it.

  "Can you do me a favor?" she asked Hannah.

  "Sure."

  "I need a new box of sticky notes and more paper clips, but I have to finish these before five. Do you mind?"

  "Not at all. I wanna get in on the juicy gossip anyway," she said and immediately skipped out of the cubicle.

  "Thank God," Quinn muttered under her breath and returned to work.

  Chapter 4

  It was Friday and Quinn couldn't be happier. It had been the longest week of her life and she desperately wanted to call in sick, just so she could stay in bed all day and watch movies. She hadn't called in sick once the entire year and although the possibility weighed heavily on her shoulders, she peeled back the comforter and began her usual morning routine.

  Hoping she'd see Jaysen again at the coffee shop, she made sure to hurry so there wouldn't be any possibility she could miss him. She slipped on a pair of platform heels, which had been sitting in their original box since she'd bought them a year ago. She felt inspired to dress up and wear a little extra make-up, just in case she did run into him.

  She opened the front door and waved at Gladys who was watering a pot full of fake flowers outside her door. "It's going to be nippy again today, Quinny. Hope you have a scarf and coat."

  Quinn lifted the collar on her coat and nodded. "I'm all set, thanks, Gladys. See you later." She smiled and waved.

  She hurried down the stairs, being extra careful so she wouldn't trip and fall flat on her face since it was the first time she'd worn heels in ages.

  The main doors to her apartment building were propped open with bricks on either side, allowing the icy morning air to rush in. She tucked her hands in her coat and looked around for the culprit before kicking the bricks to the edge of the sidewalk.

  "Who does that?" Quinn asked herself in a huff.

  "I do," a male voice said over her shoulder causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

  Quinn whirled around to face him. "Shit! You just don't go sneaking up on people like that. What the hell is wrong with you?"

  He flashed a bright white smile and laughed. "A little jumpy aren't we?"

  "You would be too if some jackass just crept up out of nowhere and scared the shit out of you," she scolded.

  He was much taller than Quinn, with short, dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. He was carrying a box labeled, 'XXX' and she could only assume what the contents inside were.

  He laughed again. "I didn't realize this sector was being patrolled by the building's hall monitor."

  "Just keep the door closed, smart ass."

  He balanced the box on his forearm and held his hand out in greeting, but she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

  "Nick," he offered. "Apartment 3-C. I just moved in."

  "Well, Nick from 3-C, it's twenty degrees outside, the boiler in this building is complete shit, so unless you want to take a pick axe to your radiator later, I suggest you keep the door shut," she said and turned to walk away.

  "So that's it? You're not even gonna tell me your name?" He called from behind and she picked up her pace as soon as she heard his footsteps catching up with her.

  "I just moved here from New Mexico, I was just trying to be nice. Hey!"

  Quinn stopped, turning to face him with a scowl and furrowed eyebrows.

  "Welcome to the neighborhood, Nick from New Mexico who lives in 3-C. I'm 3-A from Los Angeles and now I'm late to work. Do you mind?"

  He smiled. "3-A? So we're neighbors?"

  She rolled her eyes and took off walking again. "Bye, Nick."

  "Nice to meet you 3-A from LA, see ya 'round."

  "Doubt it," she said under her breath.

  The truth was, apartment 3-C had been empty for almost a year and since there were so many new buildings and condos popping up all over, she never thought management would get it filled. Quinn just hoped he wasn't in a band like the last guy, one could only take so many guitar solos in the middle of the night.

  She rounded the corner just in time to see the bus come to a stop, so she jogged the last fifty yards, waving her hands. Out of breath and cursing herself for wearing heels, she climbed the stairs and scanned her bus pass. "Thanks for waiting for me," she said to the driver and he nodded.

  Chapter 5

  Thankfully, the bus arrived on time and she had a few minutes to spare. The coffee shop was bustling with people, just as it had been the previous day, and she scanned the room for Jaysen while she waited in line. When she didn't see him, her heart sank since she was hoping for another glimpse to tide her over for the weekend.

  "Morning. What can I get for you?" the girl behind the counter asked.

  "A large Chai tea, no whip cream."

  "Venti?"

  "Yeah, whatever."

  "Name please?"

  "Quinn," she replied and held out her credit card.

  The girl swiped the card and handed it back to Quinn without a 'thank you', then moved to the end of the counter and waited for her name to be called.

  "Jay!" the barista called. "Jay!" No one came to claim their drink. "Jay!" She called once again and a man rushed to the counter, practically knocking Quinn over in the process.

  "Excuse me," he said as he brushed her arm with his fingertips. She felt a slight current of electricity through the thick wool coat she was wearing and instinctively rubbed her arm where he'd touched it.

  When she finally looked up to see Jaysen standing next to her, she felt her cheeks flush.

  "Grande double cinnamon dolce?" the barista asked him.

  "It's Jaysen," he corrected her, but she paid no attention.

  "Gwen!" she shouted, "Venti Chai, no whip!"

  Quinn stepped forward, next to Jaysen and leaned against the counter to reach her tea. "Quinn," she said to the woman and shrugged. "I can't imagine what you'd come up with if my name was something extremely difficult, like Jenny or Sue," Quinn scoffed as the woman rolled her eyes as she called the next customer's name.

  A low chuckled emerged from Jaysen's throat and he nudged Quinn with his elbow. "Thought it was just my name they butchered every time. I swear they do it on purpose." He turned and flashed her a half grin.

  Her gaze fell to the hot cup she had gripped with both hands and smiled.
/>
  As he fiddled with the lid on his coffee, Quinn made her way towards the door. She wanted to say something to him, anything, but her words faltered and never left her lips.

  Before she could reach out to push the door, he darted in front of her and held it open. "After you," he offered.

  With her gaze trained on the ground, she stepped out into the cold. "Thanks," she said softly.

  "You're welcome."

  She turned and headed toward the Beckett building, praying inwardly that she wasn't late again.

  "Hey, wait up," he called after her and she slowed her pace. "Where you headed?"

  "The Beckett building," she replied.

  "Me too. Mind if I walk with you?"

  Quinn tilted her head and glanced up at him with a questioning look on her face. His honey colored eyes caught her gaze and she felt her heartbeat quicken as he walked beside her. "Sure."

  "What department are you in?" he asked.

  "Financials, sixth floor."

  "I don't think I've ever seen you before. Are you new?"

  She laughed. "No. Actually, I've been there almost seven years."

  "Seven? Wow, you must really love your job."

  She laughed, again. "I did."

  "Did?"

  "Yeah, I used to really enjoy my job. I've always loved the company, but lately there've been a lot of changes in the department, like hiring interns to do the work that veteran employees don't have time for because of budget cuts, yada, yada. I literally spend half a day cleaning up their mistakes and I know they're around because it doesn't cost the company anything, but I work with one, who actually gets paid to be there. Although, she doesn't even know what the hell she's doing and it drives me batty. And between you and me, my boss is a perverted asshole."

  She couldn't believe she was rambling on to a guy she'd just met, but Jaysen found her brutal honesty quite charming. She instantly wanted to take it all back, but it was too late, she had kept it all bundled up inside for so long, there was no stopping the verbal diarrhea that had just spewed out of her mouth.