First and Tension (Summersweet Island 4)

Emily: Are you sure about this? This charity event is a lot different than a private lunch with your boss in an empty restaurant, or dinner with my parents here on the island, or even just hanging out around the island. No one bothers us on Summersweet. But this charity event is public. Press will be there, all of your coworkers will be there, and fans will be there. People will be posting pictures of us before you even say hello to anyone.

Quinn: This is all part of my master plan to restore your good name in the media. The world will finally see you’re not a hotheaded woman, with a banshee-like voice, who’s trying to ruin my career. They’ll love you, and they’ll see how much I don’t hate the sight of you.

Emily: You say the nicest things.

Quinn: I mean it. I really do. Just behave, and don’t scream at anyone.

Emily: I make no promises.

Quinn: It will be fun. It’s only for a few hours. The team will be there to sign autographs and take pictures, there will be stadium tours to show off some of the new upgrades Jeanie made, a fancy dinner with a band, where you can wear a pretty dress, and a cornhole tournament, where the winners get to decide what charity they want to give ten grand to.

Emily: Ahhh, now I see why you invited me. So you’d actually be on a winning cornhole team.

Quinn: Well, now we’re definitely playing on opposite teams.

Emily: Do you really want to embarrass yourself in front of your teammates and fans?

Quinn: Right, so we’ll be on the same team.

Quinn: Hey! It’s Quinn. Would one of you guys possibly be able to stop by my rental cottage a few times in the next couple of days and feed my cat? I need to go back to the mainland until Wednesday night, and I don’t want to annoy Emily and ask her to do it.

Bodhi: Wise decision, man. I can handle Chevy Tahoe for you.

Quinn: I don’t have Chevy Tahoe. I’ve got Crouton.

Bodhi: LOL! Did you almost sit on him when you went to take a shit? The first time is always the hardest. You get used to it. Just don’t make eye-contact.

Shepherd: OMG. How did you get my number? I mean, I don’t mind at all. Text me anytime, day or night. Bodhi’s busy. I’ll take care of Crouton for you. Want me to straighten up? Wash the linens? The pink sheets were all Bodhi’s fault. I know how to do laundry. I even make my own fabric softener.

Palmer: I’m sorry, Quinn. Shepherd has ZERO chill. I’ll take care of Crouton.

Shepherd: You just screenshot this conversation and sent it to someone to prove you know him, didn’t you?

Palmer: I did not! Quinn, I would never.

Bodhi: We are literally sitting right next to you at Dockside Eddy’s. You just sent it to your agent and said “Boo-yah, motherfucker! We’re totally friends. I told you!”

Palmer: He won’t tell anyone or I’ll fire him. I swear, Quinn.

Quinn: I still don’t get why Emily won’t let me hang out with you guys. You make me feel so normal.

Shepherd: We get that a lot. Don’t worry about the next few days. We’ll fight amongst ourselves for Crouton care. Have fun!

CHAPTER 15

Quinn

“You’re totally going to fuck this up.”

“Another great interview,” Tyler greets me as I exit the studio and meet him in the radio station hallway.

“Did you have any doubts?” I smile, rolling my eyes when I have to wait for him to check out his hair in the mirror hanging on the wall of the hallway before we can start walking.

As anxious as I’ve been about being away from Emily, when I just got her to be sort of agreeable about me staying on the island, and she hasn’t tried to murder me when we’ve hung out together, the interviews have gone better than I expected. I’ve always sort of begrudgingly done these things because I had to and couldn’t wait for them to be over. Now that I’m on a team I’m excited to play for, with a bunch of guys I admire, respect, and have a hell of a lot of fun with, I can’t seem to shut up. Which of course leads the DJs to ask if the new woman in my life is the cause for all of this chattiness. They’ve been really cool about me not wanting to discuss my personal life and just focus on the Sharks, since I don’t want to say anything out of turn that would piss Emily off.

“I can’t believe you’re still getting away with saying ‘no comment’ on the crazy redhead situation.”

My good mood thinking about Emily is immediately squashed. I’m in Tyler’s face and shoving him up against the wall so fast we’re both a little shocked it happened, but I recover faster.