Chasing Me (Quinn and James 2)

"Of course." I took the file, and we stood a bit awkwardly, looking at one another. Finally, he leaned over and gave me a quick, hard hug. "Congratulations, Quinn Harmon," he murmured in my ear. "I see great things for you."

I hugged him back, but there was a warm, friendly vibe that wrapped around me, and I realized as similar as we were, we didn't have the spark I had with James. I pulled back, gave him another thank-you, and rushed out the door.

Quickly, I pulled out my phone and texted James. Have news. On my way to your place.

I ran all the way, but when I got to his apartment, he wasn't there. Fishing my key out of my purse, I let myself in to wait for him. Tonight would be perfect. Maybe we'd splurge on dinner. He was done with his art project and would get into the expo, and I got my full-time job. We'd finally have some money and a solid future.

Feeling like I was ready to bust, I quickly called my dad and left him a voicemail, telling him I had great news. Then I decided to call my girls. Honestly, nothing good or bad happened in my life without my BFFs being involved.

Crossing my fingers they'd both be available, I brought up Skype and tried Cassie first. Her face popped up on my screen. "I'm here."

"Cassie, I miss you!"

Cassie sighed and gave me a weak smile. "I know, sweetie. I miss you too. It's been crazy here making sure I get my straight A's and dealing with some stuff."

"Stuff?" I asked. "Does this have to do with Ty?"

Her face plainly reflected pain that hadn't faded yet. "No, he hasn't contacted me. I have to testify at the trial in Key West soon, and I'm nervous."

"I know. But you need to do this, and it's going to be okay. Mac and I will arrive a few days afterward and make sure you're okay. I wish I could get out there earlier to help, but it was hard just taking a few days off at work."

"No, I totally understand. How is the clinic?"

I grinned widely. "I have news. Can we get Mac on?"

"Hell, yes. She knows to pick up from us unless she's onstage."

I laughed, dialed her in, and sure enough, my second best friend was reflected on the screen. "Hey, girls. What's shakin?" Her country twang and gorgeous face made me miss her even more.

"Two things. One, we want to be sure you're okay. The last time we spoke, you broke up with Austin."

The sadness in her eyes tore my heart apart. Answer given. I guessed she and Austin weren't doing too well. "I'm hanging in. Throwing myself into work, you know? Maybe I'll get another top country hit due to my broken heart."

I jumped in. "I'm sorry, sweetie. We'll be there soon. Can you hang in?"

Mac smiled. "Absolutely! I'm keeping busy trying to clear my schedule so we can spend some quality time together. What's the second thing you called for?"

I knew she meant it, so I accepted her answer. Cassie's small nod said she did, too. "I have good news."

Mac grinned. "Good, we need it. Tell all."

"I got the full-time position at New Beginnings!"

They both squealed and clapped and made a big deal out of it. Mac thought I needed more fun in my life, and Cassie was always telling me to try to have balance, but they knew how hard I'd worked for this.

"I can't wait to celebrate!" Mac announced. "Congratulations, darlin'. You so deserve it."

"I never doubted you," Cassie swore. "Do you start after graduation?"

"Yes, I already put in for vacation for Spring Break, so that's still clear."

"I bet James is just as excited," Cassie mentioned.

"I'm waiting to tell him. Figured I'd call my girls first."

"You better!" Mac warned. "Forget that 'bros before hoes' crap. It's BFFs before boyfriends!"

We all laughed, chattered a bit, then finally ended the call.

I dropped onto the couch, checking to see if he'd texted back yet, and tried to enjoy the few moments of happiness and satisfaction. I was hard on myself, so I figured after a few days, I'd be on to the next goal to conquer.

But for now, in this moment, life was just about perfect.

Chapter Fourteen

JAMES

I SWITCHED MY CELL to silent to ward off a call from my dad, and asked the receptionist if Quinn was still around. "Oh, she was just in Brian's office. Let me ring and see if she's still there."

I stiffened at the sound of Brian's name, but swore I'd be an adult. There was no reason to believe anything else was going on, even if Brian was interested. Quinn just wasn't that type of woman.

The receptionist--her name tag said Sharon--clicked off the phone and motioned upstairs. "Take the elevator to the second floor. First door on the left."

"Great, thanks." I headed up, then knocked. Brian opened the door. "Hey, Brian. Don't mean to interrupt. I was looking for Quinn."

Oh, yeah. This guy was not a fan of mine. A grim smile touched his lips, but he seemed to try to be friendly. "No problem. She left."

"Oh, sorry. Thanks." I turned, but he called out my name. "Yeah?"

"I'd like to talk to you for a second. Do you have time?"

This time, our gazes met and clashed. "Sure." I walked in, assessing his neat and orderly office, complete with a row of impressive degrees, all framed and hung on the wall behind his desk. Trophies from sports lined his bookcases. Yep, an overachiever. Even his office smelled faintly of lemon polish, as if he dusted it every day.

He's a lot like Quinn, the voice whispered inside me.

I ignored the voice and took a seat. The worn leather creaked gently under my weight. Brian straightened out his desk, then steepled his fingers and spoke. "Quinn is doing quite well here. I don't want to spoil her news in case she wanted to surprise you, so I hope you don't say anything. I offered her a full-time position at the center."

Joy and pride rushed through me. I grinned, so damn happy for her. She'd been busting her ass for years, and it finally paid off. I shook my head, trying to keep my emotions in check. "That's great news. Nah, I won't let her know I got tipped off. You made the right choice. Quinn won't let you down."

"I'm not worried about Quinn," Brian said firmly. "I'm more worried about her relationship with you."

And just like that, the boxing gloves were thrown into the ring.

I grabbed them right away. "Do you think I'm stupid?" I asked softly. "I know you're into her. I know you've been whispering in her ear, probably talking shit about me. But if you think you can tempt Quinn away, you don't know her at all. She loves me."

His lips thinned. "We've talked a lot over the past few weeks. Yes, she loves you. But I also know you're holding her back. I know she's already wracked with guilt, trying to meet her responsibilities yet keep you happy. How many times has she apologized for the late nights and extra workloads? You think her schedule will get better? It won't. I push my full-timers to complete their master's degree and go through additional training. You're uneducated. Working at a coffee shop. Yes, you're a serious artist, which I commend. But how long before you can support yourself? Is Quinn going to support you while you try your hand at making it in a competitive world where the percentages are against you?"

"You're an asshole." I fumed, swallowing past my desire to beat the shit out of him. "I know how guys like you work. You play the mentor role with her, put a few bugs in her ear that she deserves better, and then step in when things get rough. I bet you want me to rush home and tell her about this conversation. You'd like that, wouldn't you? You could play the wounded boss, deny it, say I misconstrued and I'm a hot-tempered little boy. But Quinn is worth more than that to me. I would never put her job at risk for a piece of shit like you."

I got up from the chair, too disgusted to continue. I'd have to figure out how to move forward without telling Quinn, but damned if I'd ruin her good news or her satisfaction in finally reaching her goals. She deserved more.

More than you, the voice said. Brian may be right. You have nothing to offer her.

Of course, I had a million dollars in my trust fund, just ready to use. But I knew if