Quentin huffed and ate some of the appetizers.
God, this was torture.
“It hurts,” Quentin said after a while.
“What does?”
Quentin looked at Joel like he’d just asked the stupidest question in the world. “My nose.”
“Jeez, you don’t need to be rude about it.”
Quentin rolled his eyes, a ghoulish thing with the bruises around his eyes.
“I’m sorry. About your nose.”
The hockey player loudly slurped his cocktail. “Uh-huh.”
“Nowyou’rebeing rude.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad you noticed.” Quentin’s eyes sparkled briefly with something like humor, and the knots in Joel’s stomach tightened. The alcohol in his cocktail wasn’t helping with his nerves, though it was making him feel a bit reckless.
“Why do you hate me?” Joel asked with bluntness that surprised him.
Quentin set his tumbler down with a clack. “I don’t hate you. I find you annoying and entitled. There’s a difference.”
Joel gasped. “How dare you say that to me?”
“You asked,” Quentin deadpanned.
“But you didn’t have to be cruel about it.”
“Is it cruel if it’s true?”
“You don’t know the first thing about me,” Joel growled.
Quentin shrugged. “Maybe I don’t. What do you know about me?”
Joel was suddenly thankful for the sheet of facts Shivonne had sent him. He had an eidetic memory, and he rattled them off perfectly.
Quentin looked stunned. “Jesus. Are you stalking me?”
“No, Shiv sent me a file on you so that we’d have something to talk about.”
“That woman is terrifying,” Quentin said, and it almost looked like he was smiling the tiniest bit.
Joel refused to let himself smile. He wouldn’t give Quentin the satisfaction of knowing he’d amused Joel. “I don’t know about terrifying, but she’s efficient, and I’m not convinced she wasn’t a secret agent before she started working for me.”
“Glad you got that file,” Quentin said dryly. “We’re having such a stimulating conversation.”
“It takes two to tango. I could have a conversation with a brick wall, but somehow you’re more boring than bricks.”
Quentin winced. “Ouch.”
“Oh, sorry, did that hurt? Or are you talking about your nose?”
