Love Squared

by A. E. Neal

"Look who's talking," he shot back.

  Quinn giggled to herself as she fished out one of the pills, popped it in her mouth and swallowed.

  A few minutes later, they boarded their plane to LA and when the flight attendant offered Quinn a drink, she nodded happily, snatching the tiny bottle of champagne from her hands.

  "Thanks," Quinn said as she gulped the champagne straight from the bottle.

  "She's afraid to fly," Will offered when he saw the flight attendant shoot her a look of disgust.

  "Well, you let me know if I can get you two anything else," she said sweetly as she set her hand on Will's shoulder.

  Quinn giggled again. "She's totally flirting with you."

  Will's face turned red as he glanced over his shoulder to look at the flight attendant as she offered champagne and hot towels to the other first class passengers.

  "You've clearly had enough of this," he said snatching the bottle from Quinn's hands.

  She began to pout, but realized the drink was going straight to her head, which made her tired.

  "I'm gonna take a nap," she said as she rested her head against Will's massive shoulder and closed her eyes.

  Chapter 33

  A black SUV, almost identical to Will's, picked them up at the airport and drove them straight to the hotel. The bellman retrieved their bags as Will handed the driver a wad of hundred dollar bills.

  "Right this way ma'am," the bellman said as he held the door open for her.

  "Thank you."

  The lobby of the hotel was pretty standard, nothing she hadn't seen before, although she knew that Jaysen probably had his hand in making her arrangements, so she followed the bellman to the front desk and waited for Will.

  Will checked them in, handed the woman behind the counter his credit card as she looked him over with a certain hunger in her eyes.

  "Breaking hearts all over the place, aren't you?" Quinn whispered as he took the key cards to their rooms.

  She could sense he was tense, on high alert, ready to pounce at any given moment and it wasn't because of the cute blonde behind the desk who was batting her long eyelashes at him.

  Once they reached their rooms, Will handed Quinn her bag and she smiled in attempt to get him to lighten up.

  "I assume you'll want to get freshened up before meeting this client of yours."

  "Yes. But I shouldn't be too long. Maybe fifteen minutes at most."

  "Okay. I'll meet you right here in fifteen minutes. Don't go wandering off."

  "Duh. Like I'd purposely run off and get kidnapped. Pssshhht," she mocked.

  "Fifteen," he said sternly before opening his door, then closing it behind him.

  "What a party pooper."

  The room wasn't over-the-top huge, a one bedroom suite with a king sized bed and a fully stocked mini bar, something she was sure she would partake in later.

  Quinn dug through her bag until she found her phone and realized the battery was dead and she didn't have a charger with her. She wasn't sure if her client had checked into the hotel yet, but their meeting was scheduled in the main dining room at five-thirty, so she called down to the front desk just to be sure everything was still in order.

  "This is Quinn Langley. Would you happen to have any messages for me?"

  "As a matter of fact I do, Miss Langley. A fax came through for you about ten minutes ago. Should I have someone bring it up to you?"

  "No, that's not necessary. I'll come get it myself in a few minutes. Thank you." Quinn hung up the phone and retreated to the bathroom. She ran a brush through her hair, dabbed on a little makeup and straightened her blouse.

  At fifteen minutes exactly, there was a knock at her door. She hurried to the door without thinking and flung it open.

  "Don't ever open the door until you check to see who it is first," Will scolded.

  "I did," she lied as she grabbed her handbag and joined him in the hallway.

  "I'm serious," he added.

  "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'll triple lock my door, not order room service and become a recluse if it'll make you less grumpy."

  "I'm just looking out for you. We've already gone over this."

  "Okay. Sorry, I'll be more cautious," she said, entwining her arm with his as they walked to the elevators.

  They reached the lobby, which was full of people, most of whom were on their phones or texting furiously.

  "I have to pick up a fax at the front desk. Wait for me here?"

  "Not a chance."

  Once again, Will was at her side, also looking at his phone every couple of seconds.

  Quinn casually walked up to the blonde woman who had checked them in earlier and smiled.

  "My name is Quinn Langley. I have a fax waiting for me."

  "Yes, Miss Langley," she said as she handed Quinn a manila envelope.

  "Thank you."

  "Please let us know if we can get you anything else to make your stay more enjoyable," the woman offered and Quinn smirked.

  "Actually," she began as she shot a glance over her shoulder to see if Will was close enough to hear her. "My friend, his name is Will and he's pretty shy, but I wanted to tell you that he thinks you're really pretty."

  The woman's cheeks turned beet red and she lowered her chin. "Really?"

  "Really. He couldn't stop going on about you in the elevator."

  She let out a half-giggle-snort and smiled. "He's gorgeous."

  "Meh. He's more like a brother to me, so I don't think so," Quinn joked.

  "Will you give him my number and tell him I'm off work at seven?"

  "It would be my pleasure."

  She handed Quinn a pink post-it note and thanked her again, profusely. Quinn glanced at the note and laughed.

  "Of course her name is Tiffani," she muttered under her breath as she stuffed the note in her pocket and caught up to Will, who was on his phone.

  Quinn had a hour to kill before she had to meet with the client, so she nodded at Will and pointed to the lobby bar.

  She sat at the end of the bar, leaving an open space for Will as soon as he got done with his call and ordered a vodka soda from the bartender. She opened the manila folder and pulled out the fax.

  To: Quinn Langley

  From: Stellar, Grant & Dougherty

  Miss Langley,

  Mr. Stellar will not be attending the meeting scheduled this evening due to an unexpected health issue. His junior partner, Mr. Dougherty will be taking his place. We have made several attempts to contact you, but we have been unable to each you. Please call our office to confirm.

  Regards,

  Danni Sandoval

  Executive Assistant

  Quinn knew their office was about to close and didn't want to forfeit the meeting altogether, so she caught Will's attention and waved him over. He ended his call and stuffed the phone into his jacket pocket.

  "What's wrong?"

  "I need to call their office. They've been trying to reach me, but my phone is dead. Which reminds me, do you have an extra charger?"

  "Here, use mine," he said offering the phone to her. "I have an extra charger in my room you can use when we're done here."

  "Thanks. I'll be right back. It's too loud in here."

  Will nodded, never taking his eyes off of her as she hurried out of the bar and into the lobby.

  Quinn quickly dialed the office's number and hoped someone was still around to answer her call.

  "Stellar Grant, this is Amy."

  "Hi Amy. This is Quinn Langley calling for either Danni Sandoval or Mr. Dougherty."

  "Danni has been expecting your call. One moment please."

  After briefly being placed on hold, a woman answered the line, sounding annoyed.

  "Miss Langley?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Oh good. I'm assuming you received my fax?"

  "Yes and I just want to apologize for not being in touch, things were a bit crazy in the office before I left. I hope my meeting with Mr. Dougherty is still on."

 
"I will confirm with him. Five-thirty at The Rustic Room, correct?"

  "Yes."

  "Thank you for returning my call, Miss Langley. Have a nice evening."

  Danni hung up the phone before Quinn could thank her. She returned to the bar, handed Will his phone and settled back into her spot at the bar.

  "Is everything okay?" he asked.

  "Yep. We're all set."

  Chapter 34

  Quinn arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early, since she didn't want to risk pissing off her new client more than he already was.

  The hostess sat her at a table near the back of the busy restaurant, handed her a menu and filled her water glass.

  Quinn pulled out the portfolio from her leather briefcase and thumbed through it nervously. Will was only a few feet away, but she had a gut feeling something was off. She glanced at Will, who smiled and nodded in return, making her feel a little more at ease.

  A few minutes later, a young man, dressed in a beige pinstriped suit followed the hostess to Quinn's table. As Quinn rose from her feet, she held her hand out to greet the man and that was when her heart stopped.

  "Oh shit. Please let this not be happening right now," she whispered to herself.

  "Molly Quinn, is that you?" he asked as he practically shoved the hostess out of the way to wrap his arms around Quinn.

  "Yeah, but it's just Quinn now. How-how are you, Shane?"

  He refused to let Quinn go and she knew if she didn't break up their embrace, Will would use brute force to do it for her.

  "Let's sit, okay?" she offered and Shane finally released her.

  He took the seat across from her, beaming from ear to ear.

  "You changed your hair," he said.

  "I did," she replied, fidgeting with her loose brown curls that framed her face.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. You just look so different. Different good, not different bad."

  "Yeah. It's been a while, huh?"

  Seven years to be exact, but who was counting?

  "How long are you in LA?"

  "Just tonight. We...uh...I leave tomorrow morning," she stammered, hoping he didn't catch her slip up.

  Shane was just as she remembered him, only when she knew him, he would have never been caught dead in a suit and tie. His coal black hair was cut short, his facial piercings and earrings were gone, and she assumed he hid most of his tattoos under long sleeves.

  He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone.

  "I have to tell Trent you're here. He'd flip," he said excitedly.

  Before he could unlock the home screen, Quinn snatched the phone from his hands.

  "No. You can't tell him or anyone else you saw me here, okay?"

  He tilted his head to the side with furrowed brows.

  "Why not? It would be the best homecoming party ever. He lives in Malibu now, you know? Totally cleaned up his act after Lola OD'd. He still talks about you all the time. Mostly about the good ole days when we were always on the road, touring and partying. But he's different now. Ever since he went solo, it's like something inside him changed."

  Instead of the normal panic attack that would knock Quinn on her ass, she was unusually calm as she listened to Shane talk about Trenton.

  "When did he go solo?" she asked as she reminisced.

  "Last year, I think. He's not on tour right now and I know for a fact he isn't seeing anyone."

  The thought of Trenton being single caused her heart to skip a beat. She was letting the fantasy of him get the best of her and she knew she needed to put a stop to it.

  "I don't really want to talk about Trent. We didn't really part on very good terms. So, how've you been?" she asked in an attempt to get herself back on track.

  Shane held his left hand up and smiled. "I'm married now," he said excitedly.

  "Congratulations. When did that happen and who's the poor soul?" she teased.

  "Her name is Felicia. I met her at Berkley and we're celebrating our one year anniversary in June."

  "Berkley? When did you decide to go to college?"

  "That last tour we had was a disaster, so I took all the money we made on the road and went to school."

  "God, that's awesome. I'm so happy for you," Quinn said.

  "Seriously though, Mol, are things with you alright? You seem a little off."

  "Quinn," she corrected him and nodded. "I'm fine. I guess I just have a lot on my plate, you know?"

  Thankfully, the waiter interrupted their awkward conversation. Shane ordered a beer, whereas Quinn was sure she didn't want to cloud her brain anymore and just ordered an iced tea.

  "Shall we go over this contract now?" she asked, praying the small talk was over.

  "Sure."

  Quinn slid the folder across the table and waited patiently as Shane looked it over. She scanned the restaurant looking for anything out of the ordinary and when she caught Will staring at her blankly, she just shrugged as if she was telling him she didn't actually know the man sitting next to her.

  Once the waiter returned with their drinks, they each ordered the oven roasted chicken and a salad. Shane continued to scan the pages Quinn had prepared, hoping the contract was what his company expected.

  Shane's brows furrowed when he read over the last page. "Hmm," he said as he stroked the stubble along his jaw line.

  "Something wrong?" she asked.

  "No, no," he smiled as he closed the packet. "I was just thinking how nice it would be to meet up with the guys while you're in town. I know they'd all love to see you."

  Quinn cringed at the thought of seeing her ex-boyfriend's band mates, especially since she had bigger fish to fry in the form of kidnapping and ransoms.

  "I really wish I could, but I actually have plans tonight with a colleague."

  "Can't you just change your ticket and stay through tomorrow?"

  "I can't. I'm slammed at the office, I can't even see over the files on my desk anymore," she laughed.

  "I know what you mean."

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

  "Sure. Anything."

  "Please don't tell Trenton you saw me. I just don't think he should know I was in town."

  "I won't, but I think you should at least call him. A phone call wouldn't hurt, you know?"

  Quinn shrugged. "Yeah, I know."

  Quinn and Shane finished their dinners, said goodbye, and parted ways.

  "We'll be in touch, Quinn," Shane added as he gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

  "Thanks, Shane. It was good to see you again."

  Chapter 35

  "I need a drink," Quinn snapped as Will followed her out of the restaurant.

  "Old friend? Ex-boyfriend? Really Quinn, the suspense is killing me."

  "It's not really any of your business, but if you must know, he's a an old friend of a friend."

  "That's convenient."

  Quinn stopped walking and turned to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Nothing. Forget I said anything."

  "Can we just get this shit taken care of, please?"

  Knowing they had a long night ahead of them, Quinn forced Will to stop at the lobby bar on their way out so she could get an extra stiff drink for the road.

  She ordered a double vodka and soda, downed it in a few gulps and handed the bartender the empty glass.

  "Lets go before I have to carry your drunk ass out of here."

  The black SUV was waiting for them at the curb where Will handed the driver a piece of paper then climbed into the backseat with Quinn.

  Will loaded and unloaded his gun about a dozen times, while Quinn just stared out the window and watched the lights of the city go by.

  She wondered how she'd gone from daydreaming about laying on the beach sipping pina coladas to having a bunch of money-hungry contract killers after her and her boyfriend. Suddenly, she wished she could talk to Nick, even if it was only for a split second. She missed his witty sense of humor and charm
so much she could feel her heart ache below her rib cage.

  A half an hour later, the SUV pulled up to an abandoned warehouse and Will exited the car, then came around to let Quinn out. He gave the driver some money and asked him to stay close.

  "Stay at my side or behind me at all times. Understood?"

  "Yeah, yeah. I get it. You don't have to get all RoboCop on me again," Quinn scoffed rolling her eyes at him.

  With the briefcase carrying the ransom money in one hand and his handgun in the other, Will cautiously surveyed their surroundings.

  "Two snipers on the roof, a dozen or so armed guards surrounding the building...looks like they're ready to start a fight," he whispered to Quinn, who inched closer to his side for protection.

  "Great," she huffed, wondering how he had seen all of that within a matter of seconds.

  Will was given specific instructions they had to follow before entering the building. No guns or weapons of any kind, the briefcase would be inspected for marked bills and Quinn and Will would both be searched thoroughly.

  When they reached the large metal rolling door, Will knocked three times, then stepped back. A moment later, the door opened, revealing a group of armed gunmen surrounding Jaysen, who was slumped over in a chair in the center of the warehouse.

  "Ah, is that my boy, William?" an older man asked.

  Quinn held onto Will's arm as he walked towards the man.

  "It's been a while, hasn't it, my old friend?"

  "I'm not your friend, Franco. I brought what you asked for, release Beckett and we'll be on our way."

  "Ah, ah, ah, my dear boy," Franco replied, holding his hand up to stop Will and Quinn from getting any closer. "Search them."

  Three men approached Will and Quinn with their guns drawn. "Lay your weapons on the ground and step back," the shorter one in front commanded.

  Still grasping the briefcase, Will dropped his gun, wrapped his arm around Quinn and stepped back.

  One of the other men searched Quinn as the shorter one patted down Will.