“Trust me, this isn’t easy for me either.” Quinn held up both hands as she backed up toward the door. “And thank you for today.” She hesitated and bit her lip as if she were dying to say something else, then quickly slipped out before Riley had a chance to protest.
36
QUINN
“And?” Lindsey picked at the piece of carrot cake in between them as she glanced at Quinn from across the table in the ice cream parlor. “How was it, being with your family in Aster House? That must have been awkward. And how was Riley with them?”
“We actually had a really nice day.” Quinn absently sipped her coffee. It was hard to hold a conversation when all she could think of was that kiss. “It was cathartic for my mother, I think, and Riley cooked us a lovely dinner.” She checked her watch, looking for an escape. “And it was a late one, so I need to catch up on sleep before I get back to work tomorrow. I should probably go soon.”
“Oh, come on, it’s only four p.m., so don’t give me excuses.” Lindsey cocked her head. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind. Spill it.” She narrowed her eyes, and her lips pulled into a teasing grin. “Does it have something to do with Riley?”
Quinn hated that Lindsey knew her so well. “I asked her out on a date,” she admitted, leaving out the kiss that had impacted her like no kiss ever had.
Lindsey’s eyes widened as she leaned back and stared at her in utter disbelief. “You did not.”
“Yes, I did. And she agreed. I messaged her this morning. I’m taking her out on Saturday.”
“And she knows it’s a date-date?”
“Yup.” Quinn shrugged. “So that’s what’s on my mind.”
“I’ll be damned. I didn’t think she’d go there, no matter how persuasive you are.” Lindsey slammed a hand on the table. “What is this mysterious hold you have over straight women? What is it that I don’t see?”
“We’re friends. I’d never flirt with you.” Quinn grinned. “But if I did, I promise you’d be turned in seconds and never go back to men,” she joked.
“Gross, Quinn. I don’t even want to think about that.” Lindsey grimaced. “Seriously, eww…”
Quinn laughed. “Thanks for the compliment, and to answer your question, there’s nothing mysterious about Riley and me. We like each other and there’s attraction.”
“Huh. Well, that’s great, and I like Riley very much, but you said you’d never date close to home again.”
“Yeah, I said that.” After Rebecca, Quinn had sworn never to date someone who lived in Mystic again. If it went wrong, it was hard to avoid the other person, and she had no energy to deal with more gossip. “But I’ve changed my mind.”
Lindsey nodded. “So, Saturday… I get it. You’re hoping to get lucky so you can stay over when you don’t have work in the morning.”
“No,” Quinn lied again. “Saturday is just a good night for a date.”
“Hmm. Where are you taking her? Somewhere in Mystic? I bet she has expensive taste. Has she been with a woman before? Are you sure she doesn’t think it’s just a friendly dinner?”
“Okay, enough with the questions.” Quinn laughed. “Yes, I’ll take her somewhere local, no, she does not make a habit of dating women and yes, I’m sure she’s aware of my intentions.”
“So you’ve been flirting?”
“Yes. For a little while.”
“That’s why you were asking about her the other night when we were on our dating apps.” Lindsey broke the last bit of carrot cake in half and gave a piece to Quinn. “It’s the first time I’ve heard you talk about a woman this way. It doesn’t feel impulsive either. It’s like you really want to get to know her, like you’re serious about her.”
“I don’t want to mess it up,” Quinn said. “And before you ask, yes, I’m worried it will affect our friendship, and yes, there’s certainly a chance she’ll change her mind, but I’ll deal with that if the time comes.” Nerves swirled through her as she sipped her coffee. Anticipation was a new experience; she usually acted on her impulses. Well, shehadacted upon them, she supposed. But leaving after that kiss had been one of the hardest things she’d done. “She’s worth the risk.”
“Wow. Those are big, grown-up words.” Lindsey pointed at her. “Typical. Out of all the women in the world you could have, you fall for the straight woman who stole your house.”
“She didn’t steal my house.”
“You never said as much, but I know you were thinking it.”
Quinn didn’t reply because Lindsey had a point. She’d been ready to dislike Riley from the beginning, but seeing her so adorably helpless at the hardware store, she hadn’t had the heart to ignore her. If she’d driven away, they wouldn’t have become friends, and she wouldn’t be in the position she was now—nervous, like a teenager, and unable to function until Saturday, which seemed like light-years away. Eager to take her mind off their upcoming date, she asked, “What happened to Nick the health freak? Did you ever get a reply?”
Lindsey jutted out her bottom lip. “We chatted for a while that night, but then he started asking me all these complicated questions about sports and nutrition since I’d told him I used to be an athlete, and things got too complicated because I had to Google everything before I could answer. Anyway, he left the following day, so that was that. I’m currently talking to a new guy. His name’s Marcellus, and he lives in a five-mile radius, but he didn’t specify where. He seems really nice.”
