Love Squared

by A. E. Neal

  Ziggy rolled to his side and let out a low meow.

  "Eeeek!" she screamed again, with a smile plastered on her face.

  Although he had said it wouldn't matter what she wore to dinner, she panicked and decided to see if she could find a dress in one of the boutiques down the street.

  Quinn gathered her purse and new phone before heading out. She swung the door open, to find Nick, dancing in his apartment with the door open. She giggled at the sight of the grown-man, mouthing the words to Shoop by Salt-n-Pepa. He glanced at her with his sparkling baby blues and a half crooked smile.

  "Hi Nick," she said, stifling her laugh with her hand.

  He jogged out to meet her, shirtless, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants that hung low on his hips. As always, she tried to divert her eyes from his sheer perfection, but it was impossible for her not to look and he knew it.

  "LA, where you off to?" he asked, holding a slice of cold pizza in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other.

  "Shopping. I'm having dinner tonight with a friend," she lied.

  "A friend, huh?" he asked, taking a sloppy bite of pizza.

  "Yep."

  "Would this friend also happen to be your boss?"

  How the hell did he do that? Was she really that transparent?

  "Fine, you got me. Yes, I'm having dinner with Jaysen and I need to buy something to wear."

  "Remember what I told you, LA."

  "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm a big girl, Nick. I can take care of myself."

  "I'm just saying, if things go south, you're pretty much stuck having to see that person every day of your life. And no matter how much you thought they loved and cared about you, it will all turn to shit."

  "Whoa. Okay," she said, holding her hand up to stop him from talking. "Easy there killer, I'm not gonna ask, but I'm assuming that has something to do with your ex-wife."

  "Just be careful, that's all I ask."

  "Thanks for the advice, Nick. I will."

  She turned and walked down the stairs, tossing a quick wave over her shoulder. She glanced back once she reached the landing and Nick smiled back at her which made her wonder what kind of horrible person could ever treat someone like him so badly. She'd only known him a few days but could already see the two of them being good friends. She wouldn't even think about having anything more with him because she knew what it felt like to have her heart broken, plus, she was already going on a date with a hot CEO that made her legs weak every time he said her name. Which, at the present time, was an added bonus.

  Four stores later, she found a low-cut, navy blue sweater dress and a pair of silver sparrow earrings that matched perfectly.

  By the time she'd gotten home, it was already five thirty, so she hurried to get ready, taking yet another shower. She curled the ends of her shoulder length brown hair, applied some mascara and spritzed herself with her favorite perfume, before pacing the apartment, waiting impatiently for Jaysen's car to pick her up.

  A light tapping at the door caused her heart to race and her cheeks instantly flushed. She peeked through the peephole and slid the lock back, opening the door to find Jaysen standing in the hallway holding a bouquet of pink and white roses, wearing a perfectly tailored, gray pinstriped suit.

  "Hi," she said, shyly as if it were the first time she'd ever laid eyes on him.

  "You look beautiful as always, Quinn," he replied, smiling.

  "Thank you. Would you like to come in?" she offered, holding the door open for him.

  "These are for you," he said as he held the bouquet of flowers out to her.

  She lifted the roses to her nose and inhaled. They were fragrant and the velvety-soft petals tickled her nose.

  "They're amazing. Thank you."

  Quinn pulled a vase down from one of the kitchen cabinets and filled it with water as Jaysen strolled through her apartment, taking in his surroundings. Their silence was interrupted by a needy cat, whom she'd forgotten to feed. Ziggy meowed loudly and Jaysen leaned down to inspect the ball of fur at his feet.

  "That's Ziggy. He doesn't bite." She pulled his dish from the counter and filled it with food. She glanced over at Jaysen, who stood completely still, looking almost afraid. "Zigs, leave Jaysen alone," she scolded and the cat came trotting over to his bowl on the floor.

  "I didn't know you had a cat," he said, matter-of-factly, like it was a bad thing.

  "Do you not like cats?" she asked, wondering how he hadn't noticed Ziggy before.

  "Uh. No. Not really. I'm really allergic to them." Oh, no! The voice inside her head was telling her that any man who didn't like animals, didn't stand a chance, but she had to give him the benefit of the doubt. Allergies weren't exactly something one had control over.

  "Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry. I guess we should go then," she said as she picked up her clutch and her new iPhone. "Ready?"

  "Yeah." He held his hand out to her and she took it while closing the door behind them.

  Nick's apartment door was still wide open and he watched the couple carefully as Quinn locked her door.

  "Hi Nick," she called.

  He waved and gave her a weak smile. Nick couldn't stand to see her with that arrogant asshole, but there wasn't anything he could do about it without causing a scene. Jaysen waved at him and Nick closed the door, shutting them out completely.

  "Is he always like that?" Jaysen asked.

  "Like what?"

  "Overprotective."

  Quinn laughed, "Pfft. Overprotective? Right. Actually, he's pretty harmless once you get to know him."

  "I'm sure he is," he said, but she sensed a hint of jealousy in his tone.

  He gripped her hand as they ascended the stairs and held the door open once they reached the foyer.

  Chapter 12

  Quinn was formally introduced to Jaysen's driver, Will, who closely resembled an MMA fighter. He wore an all black suit, matching tie and it reminded her of the man who had delivered the phone earlier that day. She assumed he also worked for Jaysen but didn't bother to ask.

  Will held the door of the SUV open as she slid across the leather seat with a little help from Jaysen.

  "Where're we going?" she asked Jaysen as he settled into the seat next to her.

  "It's a surprise."

  She panicked, "Are you sure I'm not underdressed?"

  He turned to face her and placed the back of his hand against her cheek. "You look beautiful. I promise."

  Heat spread through her cheeks and his touch alone awakened every nerve ending in her body. Screw dinner! Let's just go back to your place! Her mind screamed.

  Will pulled the SUV to the curb just outside an old brick building in Downtown that she'd never seen before. What was he up to? she thought.

  The night air was still cold and as soon as Will opened the door to let them out, she wished she had grabbed a coat.

  "Miss," Will said holding his hand out to help Quinn out of the car.

  "Thanks."

  Jaysen and Will talked as she took in the marquee above her. The illuminated, red sign read, 'Jay's' and underneath that in bold black letters, it read 'Steakhouse & Cabaret'. It didn't look much like a steakhouse from the outside, but the delicious, intoxicating smell of grilled meat filled the air as the doorman opened the large door.

  Jaysen wrapped his arm around her waist and nodded to Will. They were greeted by a young woman in a tight fitting, floor length, black dress.

  "Mr. Beckett, it's always nice to see you. To what do we owe the pleasure?" she asked, sweetly and Quinn tried not to roll her eyes.

  "I'm not here on business tonight, Genevieve. Just a table for two, somewhere private, please."

  "Yes, sir. Right this way." She picked up two menus and led them through a dimly lit corridor.

  "What is this place?" Quinn whispered.

  "You'll see soon enough. Patience, little girl."

  She rolled her eyes at his 'term of endearment', but continued to follow Genevieve. She rounded the corner, pulling back a red ve
lvet curtain and held her hand out to show them to their table.

  The table overlooked a stage and the lights dimmed as we took their seats. Music began to play and a young, blonde wearing devil horns, dressed in nothing more than a ruby red bustier, matching hot shorts and thigh-high stockings, sauntered onto the stage.

  Genevieve handed Quinn and Jaysen their menus and closed the curtain behind her. Quinn stared at the woman on stage with her jaw hanging slightly open. She'd never seen anything like it. It was as if they'd been transported into a scene from Moulin Rouge.

  "Burlesque," Jaysen offered, reading her confused expression.

  "I can honestly say this is a first for me," she said without taking her eyes off of the beautiful blonde and he laughed.

  "That's Camille. She's our best dancer."

  Our best dancer? She turned to face him. "You own this place?" she asked out of pure curiosity.

  "Yeah and two others just like it. I acquired them about a year ago and since we've cleaned house, business is actually doing pretty good."

  "Acquired?"

  "Yes, a bad business decision made by the previous owner allowed me to acquire his clubs. And instead of leaving them as they were, I decided to turn them into steakhouses with dinner entertainment."

  "Wow," she said. As much as she wondered what sort of thing had to take place in order to acquire three businesses, she kept her mouth shut and continued to watch the show. She also wondered what else she would learn about the man sitting next to her. Nothing seemed to faze him one bit. He carried himself like a Greek God. People around him stopped talking when he spoke, they did whatever he asked of them and she was just a plain, quiet, lonely girl from the finance department who happened to run into him on a whim. It didn't make sense. Why her? she thought.

  "What's going on in that head of yours, Quinn?" he asked, sensing her sudden nervousness.

  She lifted her chin, squared her shoulders and smiled. "Nothing, I'm really enjoying the show," she lied.

  A few minutes later the waitress brought them a couple glasses of champagne, some bread and took their orders. No matter what was going on around them, Quinn couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off with Jaysen. Knowing how powerful he was, it finally hit her and she felt her body tense as she dug her fingernails into her palm and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

  She took the glass in her hand and watched as the liquid inside trembled slightly before taking a sip of the cool, bubbly champagne.

  "Are you sure you're alright?" Jaysen asked as she took another sip.

  Instead of replying, she just nodded and wrapped her hands around the stemware to keep it steady. He knew something was off, but couldn't put a finger on what exactly was bothering her. Had it been a mistake to bring her here so soon? Jaysen thought.

  Quinn's mind raced as she went over ever possible scenario in her head. He could be in the mob or some drug cartel or worse, a rich, young, CEO —slash—serial killer. He could cover up his murders so easily. No one would ever suspect a thing. I'd bet money that Will's a trained killer too, she thought to herself, only making her anxiety worse.

  "Will you excuse me for a moment? I need to use the ladies room," she whispered in Jaysen's ear as she rose from the table.

  "Of course. Would you like me to show you where it is?" he asked.

  "Nah. I think I can manage," she said and quickly retreated into the corridor.

  She leaned against the wall for a few seconds, just to get a hold of her bearings.

  "Miss?" the waitress asked. "Can I help you with something?"

  Quinn nodded and plastered on a fake smile. "Yeah, um...the champagne sorta got to me. Can you point me towards the restroom?"

  "Of course, it's right this way, follow me."

  Once she was in the safe confines of the bathroom, she checked herself in the mirror. She recited one of her favorite songs in her mind to calm herself down. Ever since she was a little girl, she would have terrible anxiety attacks or panic attacks as her dad liked to call them. He would sing, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds to get her to focus on something else besides what she could only describe as an elephant sitting on her chest and she found herself reciting the song ever since.

  The attacks had gotten better as she aged, but it seemed everything she did recently would trigger them, without warning. First Hollingsworth, then Nick, and now Jaysen. It had been almost a year since she had to see a doctor because of the spells, but she knew nothing could last forever. She always carried a small pill tin, with ibuprofen, aspirin, and Xanax. The Xanax always made her feel out of sorts, so she usually steered clear as much as possible, but she knew if she was going to make it through the rest of the night, she needed one. Now.

  Quinn popped the familiar little pill in her mouth and swallowed, hoping it would kick in sooner rather than later before she had a full-fledged, hair pulling, wall clawing, panic attack.

  She washed her hands then headed back to the table. While she'd been gone, their dinner had arrived, but she didn't have much of an appetite left.

  "Mmm. This looks wonderful," she said to Jaysen, who smiled brightly, refilling her champagne. Jaysen saw how nervous she was, fidgeting in her seat, her hand trembling as she took a sip of champagne. He wondered what was going on in her head and if he was the one who'd triggered it.

  "Thank you," she said nervously.

  Once they had finished dinner, the intermission began and the lights brightened. Jaysen turned to face her and she caught his gaze, holding it with her own. He really was a beautiful man and she couldn't imagine what he'd ever want with someone like her.

  "Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked, hoping she'd open up to him.

  "Yes, very much so. I love the show...and dinner was delicious. But.."

  "But, what?"

  "Well," she hesitated, fiddling with the napkin in her lap. "I'm just not sure why someone like you would even be interested in a girl like me."

  He leaned forward, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "I'm trying to turn over a new leaf, Quinn. I offended you the other day by requesting something of you that I should never have done. I apologize for that and I'm glad you were willing to see past it and spend some more time with me. I know this isn't the kind of place one would normally take a girl...woman...on a first date, but you aren't just an ordinary woman. I knew from the first time we spoke, there was something about you and I wanted to get to know you better. Even if we just ended up being friends. You're intriguing and so carefree, how is it that you've already caught me under your spell?"

  "I know nothing about you, Jaysen. Other than you're technically my boss and you own the company I work for. Sure, you love art and are very charming when you want to be, but I also have a feeling there's something else about you that you're not telling me. And trust me, I know all about hiding things, I just don't know if what you're keeping from me would make or break the feelings I have towards you."

  Had he really been that transparent? He wanted nothing more than to tell her about his past, but there was a time and a place for it and he didn't feel comfortable divulging information to a girl he hardly knew. He ran a hand through his short, dark hair and leaned towards her. "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "We've already established that you're a smart girl, Quinn. I'm glad you agreed to have dinner with me tonight, I just don't think now is the time or place to discuss my skeletons, if you will. When the time is right, I'll tell you everything, but for now, can you please trust me when I say that whatever hesitation you're having, is nothing I haven't felt before."

  What the hell does that mean, Mr. Cryptic? No matter what feelings she had towards him, the one thing she could not stand, was being lied to.

  "I think you should probably take me home now," she said and tucked her clutch under her arm.

  He pushed his chair back and held his hand out to her, but she ignored his gesture and got up from the table on her own. She held the velvet
curtain to the side and slid through it, stepping out into the corridor. Once again, he knew he had upset her and instantly went to her side. She could feel the heat of his breath on her neck but didn't face him, she wouldn't let him manipulate her again, not tonight. Instead, she began walking to the front of the restaurant as Jaysen followed closely behind her.

  The doorman opened the door for the couple and Genevieve came rushing to Jaysen's side. "Mr. Beckett, was your dinner alright? The show hasn't ended yet, why are you leaving so soon?" she rambled on, but he just ignored her and followed Quinn outside.

  Will had already been 'summoned' and the SUV was waiting at the curb. He opened the door, nodded at Quinn as she slid across the leather seat and closed it behind her.

  She watched as the two conversed outside. Jaysen was furious, she could see it in his eyes. Will threw his hands up, shrugging and arguing before opening the driver's side door.

  "Mr. Beckett has asked me to take you home, Miss Langley," he stated and before she could protest, the car pulled from the curb, leaving Jaysen standing there. Alone.

  "Why isn't he coming with us?" she snapped.

  "I'm sorry, Mr. Beckett had business to attend to and it couldn't wait."

  "Uh-huh, sure he did," she muttered under her breath.

  * * *

  "Nick?" Quinn called as she rapped on his door. "Nick, it's Quinn. Please answer the door."

  Nick was the closest thing she had to a friend and even he didn't want to talk to her at the moment. She knew it was presumptuous of her to even think about talking to someone she barely knew about a guy she really didn't know at all, but she desperately needed someone to confide in and somehow she knew Nick wouldn't judge her.

  "Nick?" There still wasn't an answer, so she put her ear to the door to listen for any movement inside. It was completely silent. "Shit."

  It was a lost cause, so instead of being that girl waiting outside her neighbor's door, she turned and went into her apartment. She fished her phone out of her clutch before tossing it on the kitchen table. She didn't have any new messages, nor any missed calls. Will had to have been telling the truth, either that or Jaysen was doing his best to avoid her. She pulled up a blank message and began typing.