Oh, that smug look. He was playing with me. And not only that but he was looking frustratingly comfortable, with one leg crossed over the other and his arm resting on the back of his seat.
“I think I’ve said enough,” I replied.
He held my stare, his lip curled up ever so slightly. “Humor me.”
Fine. He wanted a tour? I’d give him a tour. Launching into a monologue about the McKallister family, I mentioned not only Jake but also Kyle’s time on the reality survival show and the oldest sister’s husband, Finn, himself a popular actor. And with my eyes never leaving his, I concluded with a piece about the family’s youngest son.
“If you will remember, Quinn McKallister recently competed on the singing competitionNext in Line.He was the awkward fella wearing a full-body sea lion costume, not because he was forced to but because he just really likes attention and doesn’t care how he gets it.”
Quinn laughed along with the other passengers. Snapping his fingers, he motioned me forward. “Give me that.”
I handed him the microphone.
“Sit down now, missy. I’ll take it from here.” Quinn stood up and pointed out the window. “The house up there on the left belongs to actress Tara Agora. Every year, she throws a huge birthday bash—for herself.”
Quinn went on to give deliciously detailed, inside trader accounts of all his neighbors. I found myself as engaged as everyone else, watching him shine by just being the guy I fell for that one rainy California day. And although I hadn’t been with him since, I’d been following along in the media like everyone else. I’d watched in awe as Quinn had gone from an internet sensation to a vulnerable heartthrob to the frontman of a breakout band with a hit single that was taking over the airwaves.
Quinn’s future was already outlined. Now all he had to do was fill in the blanks. I wanted to be a footnote on those pages… No, I wanted to fill every line. Maybe I hadn’t given Quinn enough credit. I’d thought he’d just move on, but he hadn’t. He’d held on… made a stand. Held himself faithful to me.
I owed Quinn the truth. I would tell him about Noah and explain my reasoning. Maybe he would understand, maybe he wouldn’t, but at least I would have said my piece so that both of us could move on.
Eventually, I wrestled the microphone from his hands and finished the tour. When Delene pulled into the parking spot nearly two hours later, there wasn’t a person in the bus who wasn’t smiling from ear to ear. Quinn had made today something special. Something unexpected. To have a celebrity wave and say hi on our route was one thing, but what Quinn had done was unlike anything I’d ever heard or seen. He’d put himself out there in a big way, and while it had paid off in the short term with a very pleased group of tourists, in the long run, I hoped he wouldn’t live to regret it.
Just as the last passenger disembarked, I saw Andrea running toward the bus, waving us down. Delene opened the doors to let her in.
“Don’t get off the bus,” she said as she climbed up the stairs, panting.
“Quinn, this is my sister Andrea. Andrea, this is my stalker Quinn.”
“Nice to meet you, Quinn. Were the two of you aware that the passengers on the bus have been livestreaming?”
Quinn’s brows shot up. “Ah, shit. Tara will never speak to me again.”
“You may need to move,” I agreed. I was in as giddy a mood as my departed passengers. Quinn really had made my day. My month. My life.
“Actually, Andrea, I think we all know who to blame,” Quinn said, clearing his throat. “Delene.”
My driver shook her fist at him, but there wasn’t an ounce of animosity. Dare I say the two had become friends along the route?
“I’m glad you all had such fun, but there’s one person who isn’t as happy—your manager, Quinn.”
“Tucker?”
“Yes, Tucker. He called me. And has sent security to hold back the crowd.”
“Wait,” I said, looking out the window. “Why is there a crowd?”
Andrea gaped at me before tapping my chest. “Jess.”
Her finger then tapped on his. “Quinn.”
We both looked on, still not comprehending the connection.
“Wow, you two really are meant for each other, aren’t you? Quinn McKallister just found his Jesserella. It’s a real-life fairy tale, and people have been flooding onto the boulevard in hopes of catching a glimpse of the crowning.”
“My god,” Quinn replied. “I am Prince Gaston. My brothers are going to absolutely rip me to shreds for this one.”
“At least you got a cool name. Jesserella sounds like someone’s heaving up a hairball.”
