She was fucking amazing last night. Her first instinct when something spooks her is still to hide, but getting away from under her mother’s thumb is doing good things for her confidence. I knee Colt on the way out of bed and he takes a swipe at me without opening his eyes, going straight back to sleep after.
Someone’s moving around, opening and closing cabinets out in the living area, which answers my question. I fucking hope we didn’t accidentally end up with a morning person. It would be worth it if it meant keeping her around, but still. Grabbing someclothes out of my dresser, I pad into the shower to rinse off before joining her.
My towel’s damp, so I’m guessing Quinn did too. I’ll have to show her where I keep the clean ones, though the thought of her using my stuff isn’t exactly a turn-off, even after last night’s workout.
I push aside the heavy curtain that divides my sleeping area from the rest of the room. When I come out into the living area, she’s sitting on the couch in one of my fucking shirts with her legs up underneath her and her phone propped up on the coffee table. As if on cue, it rings. She glances up at me and smiles before tapping it to answer.
“Hey, cutie. Where are you?”
Quinn squirms a little. “Roger! I can’t believe you’re up this early on a Saturday. You must be feeling better.”
“Not enough for them to let me out yet, but you know me. I always need something to do, otherwise I’ll go stir crazy. I just read the draft for the article.”
“What do you think? I thought she did a good job working around some of the trickier details.” Quinn’s eyes flit to me just as I finish filling my mug. I raise it to her in a silent ‘good morning’. “The reporter is just waiting on my go-ahead to publish.”
“Well, it could be worse.” There’s a bit of an edge to the man’s voice that isn’t exactly disapproving, but makes it clear he isn’t happy. I’d go ahead and drop down on the couch next to her to see his reaction, but I know this Roger guy is someone important to her.
“What does that mean? I know it’s not a good situation, but I didn’t choose any of this. Take it up with my mother.”
“Trust me, I have,” Roger says with acid in his tone. “I can’t believe even Sheila would do something this reckless. She’s been different since the series got picked up.”
Quinn nods and takes a sip of coffee. “I… Don’t tell her I said this, okay? But I think it might be her new boyfriend. She’s driving a fancy car, signed the lease for the apartment without asking me, and she told me he gave her the money to hire Greg Cook. She was always worried that I’d end up with someone who would use me, but maybe that’s what’s happening to her?”
Roger grunts, unconvinced. “She’s old enough to know better than that. You know how I feel about her still being your manager. I think you’re outgrowing her and she doesn’t know how to handle being left behind.”
I think I might like this guy.
He continues. “Either way, what you need to decide now is where you see yourself in three months. The article paints you in a positive light. Maybe a little naïve. You come across as a young, inexperienced actress who got duped by a scammy production company that broke the law. I know you’re trying to avoid throwing your mother under the bus, but it doesn’t really explain why you would go along with something like this.”
“I wasn’t the one?—”
“I know, Quinn, but I know because I know the dynamic between you and Sheila. To everyone else, you look like a risk.” Roger sighs. “Especially if you deny having anything to do with what happened, while continuing to visibly associate with a criminal element.”
Quinn’s lips pull into a tight line. She’s not happy.
“They’re listening right now, aren’t they?” Roger asks.
I sit down next to Quinn. “Hey, I’m Sinner.”
“Ah, the young man from the photos. Can’t say I approve, but all considered, I’m glad you were there. Good job.”
“Thanks,” I respond, thrown off by the compliment.
“I assume you’ve heard everything. Do you disagree?”
Quinn looks insulted on my behalf. “Of course he does!”
I shrug. “Eh. I want to tell you to fuck off, but I’m not an idiot. We probably aren’t good for her career. The reporter is my sister, by the way. We don’t advertise it, but if anyone really started digging they’d find out.”
“Thank you for telling me. I’d rather know so we aren’t blindsided later.”
“Do I get a say in all this?” Quinn asks. “I want to publish the article and let Mila help with keeping friendly press on the top of the news cycle. I know it means some of the inquiries might dry up, but I’m done letting what other people think steer my career, whether it’s my mother or some executive that’s never even met me.”
I expect Roger to argue, but he smiles.
“Good. It’s about time. Let me know when you’re ready to start officially transitioning away from your mother’s management. I actually don’t think this is as bad as it could be. You happen to be getting famous at the moment for playing a demon who hangs out in bars with bikers. It fits with your branding well enough that a lot of people might assume it’s a deliberate choice,and unless you really go off the deep end, you’ll be locked in for any new seasons of Saving the World. There’s no need to make a decision right away on how this works long term. Do you understand, Quinn?”
She glances at me and gives a tiny nod. “I know. I’m having dinner with Mom on Monday. I don’t know what will happen, but I need to start somewhere.”
