“Fort doesn’t appreciate your sass,” Nora translated.
Quinn smiled and, spurred onward by the idea of cuddling with Nora and watching the parade from the comfort of the balcony, started for her truck as she retorted, “Bull. Fort loves me.”
“Yeah.” Nora heaved a dramatic sigh. “I can’t even argue with that.”
This time, Fort let the stick fall out of his mouth as he chimed in, “Woof!”
“Love ya too, dude,” Quinn assured him. She had just set the bins on the ground behind her truck and unlocked the tailgate when an energetic bundle of fur jumped onto her back. She laughed as she stopped herself from falling with a quick hand on the tailgate.
“Fortissimo!” Nora scolded.
“It’s okay.” Quinn whirled around to pull Fort into a hug. “We’re best buddies, aren’t we, pal?” she asked as they tumbled onto the ground.
Fort wiggled free and licked her face with a delighted bark.
Quinn gave his side a couple of pats. “Exactly.” She held a hand out to Nora. “Help?”
“It’ll cost you,” Nora laughed as she grabbed Quinn’s hand.
“Oh yeah?” Quinn smiled at the way Nora lifted her chin expectantly once she was upright, and dipped her head to deliver the requested kiss. “Just let me put these away,” she murmured as she pulled away, “and we can get out of here.” Her stomach fluttered as Nora’s hand found the back of her neck, and she hummed as she let that firm touch pull her into a kiss that was lazy and deep and exquisitely indulgent.
Nora’s fingers trailed through the short hairs at the back of Quinn’s neck as they slowly separated, and nuzzled her cheek as she pleaded softly, “Take me home.”
“Yes,kjære,” Quinn whispered against Nora’s lips.
Nora’s breath hitched at the tender endearment spoken in her native tongue, and there was a hint of crushed velvet in her voice as she whimpered, “Quinn…”
Quinn kissed her softly. “Yes?”
The hand on the back of her neck tightened, but before Nora could reply, Fort took advantage of the lull in their conversation to add his two cents with a sharp bark.
Quinn sighed and gave Fort an unimpressed look. “You, my good sir, have theworsttiming.” She rolled her eyes when he grinned and tossed his head as if she’d just given him the world’s best compliment. She squeezed Nora’s waist and murmured, “Just a sec,” as she pulled away. Once the bins were safely stowed, she slammed the tailgate shut and locked it, and she held a hand out to Nora as she said, “Shall we?”
“Absolutely.” Nora swiped Fort’s leash from the ground where it trailed beside him, and took her hand. “So, how did your demonstration go earlier?” she asked as they started walking. “I hated to miss it, but the recording studio I had rented for the week after Christmas for my next album called. The manager said there was some issue with the fire inspection, so we have to reschedule. It was an absolute nightmare to find time with all the different schedules involved, and now it’s looking like it’s probably not going to get done until late-February at theearliest.”
“Hey, I get it. Work just happens sometimes.” Quinn caressed Nora’s hand with her thumb. “The demo went well. It was definitely more crowded than the last two nights, but I’d expected as much for a Friday. It does bode well for tomorrow and Sunday, though. Might even manage to sell out on the ornaments I brought for this thing.”
“I would be shocked if you didn’t. They’re incredible.”
“Yeah, well.” Quinn shrugged. “You never know with art—y’know? Sometimes something you think is complete shit gets snapped up in an instant, and sometimes the piece you’re absolutely in love with sits for months with no interest. Like, those metal sculptures Paul told you about—I honestly wasn’t sure if they were any good. I was just fucking around, trying something new, and bam, the things were a massive success.”
“Oh, I understand. It happens with music, too. You just never know what will click with somebody.” Nora pulled her hand from Quinn’s and dragged her fingers along the inside of her forearm. “Did you enjoy the metal sculpting?” she asked as she wrapped her hand around Quinn’s biceps.
“Yeah. It’s fun to weld the different pieces together. And if I do something that I don’t like, I can take it apart and try again, which isn’t something I can do with wood. So there’s more opportunity to try a bunch of different things. But it’s so different from woodworking, and I just…don’t trust it, I guess? Like, that first show could’ve been a fluke.”
“I felt that way when I first dipped my toes into media,” Nora shared as they exited the park. “I went to school to be a ‘proper’ composer, and I was just beginning to make something of a name for myself with some of the more contemporary symphonies and orchestras when a small indie company reached out about scoring a little game they were debuting at some convention. After the game’s success, a producer over at Universal contacted me about a film, and then that side of my career took off so quickly that I barely had time to wrap my head around it all. I still do purely classical pieces and albums and whatever, but they’re secondary to the art that I stumbled into with the game.”
“Do you regret it? Branching out from the traditional classical music scene to work in media?”
Nora shook her head. “I’m making music that I’m proud of. I mean, would I love to hear my music being played at Disney Hall or the Barbican or the Royal Opera House or something someday? Absolutely. But there’s nothing about my career path that I’d change. And who’s to say it won’t ever happen, you know?” She smiled up at Quinn. “That’s what’s great about art. We have the freedom to explore. To try new things. To practice different skill sets without having to commit our entire lives to just one.”
“Like writing video game and movie scores as well as classical albums,” Quinn said.
“Mm. Or dabbling in metalwork while continuing to wow the world with your woodworking skills.” Nora stroked her thumb over the swell of Quinn’s biceps. “Doing one doesn’t mean you have to abandon the other. And if sculpture is anything like music, switching gears every now and again would probably do wonders for inspiring creativity.”
“It did,” Quinn confirmed.
Nora nodded as if she’d known it all along. “But what matters, ultimately, is that you enjoy the process. The best art comes from here.” She tapped Quinn’s chest with her free hand. The movement tugged on Fort’s leash, and she huffed a laugh when he jabbered as if in agreement. “See? Even Fort knows I’m right.”
