She shook her head. "He keeps talking about your intentions. Nothing about him or this whole mess or even how any of this could possibly be making me feel."
"Oh, sweet princess, we're just having a little fun. Come on, you can't tell me you don't want to see your father this uncomfortable," Trent said. "Really, I'm doing you a favor. Compared to me, Owen looks a lot less of a creep. Am I right?"
For once, everyone in the room was in agreement.
"I'll just let them think my interests lie elsewhere," I whispered in her ear. I would have kissed both Trent and Nicky if it would erase the worried furrow across her brow.
Quinn nodded as I opened another bottle of wine.
"I was just at the Wynn the other night." I topped off everyone's glasses. "I don't know about the dance scene there, but I had a great time. A friend of mine had the most amazing suite, one of the villas."
"You have friends that stay in villas?" Trent asked.
"Well, one friend really. Anya. She's one of those drop-dead gorgeous jet-setters that also happens to play video games. We meet up at tournaments from time to time," I said.
Trent gave me an assessing look and then turned to study Quinn. She was looking even more miserable. I had obviously chosen the wrong plan.
"So, you and this Anya chick, huh? Guess Quinn wasn't lying about the whole 'he only kissed me to help make Trent jealous thing.'"
I was about to backtrack when Mr. Thomas walked in the room. "Who’s Anya?"
"Owen's girlfriend," Trent said.
Mr. Thomas slowed down and gave me a less angry look. I finally saw Quinn relax a little. Maybe it was not such a bad idea, after all.
"She flew in for the tournament last weekend. Then, he drove her up to L.A. and decided to visit me," Quinn said.
"Dinner's on the table," Mr. Thomas said. His face was regaining a normal color. "I'm sorry to say that Barbara will not be joining us, but please, let's eat."
We settled around a table where take-out from a local restaurant had been artfully displayed as home cooking. For a few minutes, everyone passed the plates and there was hope for an almost normal meal.
"So, Owen came back to UCLA, huh? That must have been hard. Was that before your parents dropped the whole house arrest bombshell?" Trent asked.
"Why would it be hard for him to come to UCLA?" Nicky asked.
I jumped in. "Did you catch up on everything, Quinn? How's the nursing program?"
Quinn gave me a thankful smile. "I'm actually caught up. I have a few big chapters to read tonight, but then I'm free."
"She's actually a really good nurse," Trent said. "When we first started dating, we went to this outdoor concert. People were just getting loaded all over. So, naturally, I was having a great time. Until I fell down this embankment and cut my arm on a signpost."
Trent launched into an animated retelling of his bloody injury. While he was monopolizing the other end of the table, I turned to check on Quinn.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea," she said.
"Why are you apologizing? Just say the word and we'll leave right now," I said.
She smiled. "I would. I really would, but I honestly think it would only make things worse."
"What? Leaving your father with your jealous ex-boyfriend and his painfully uncomfortable boy toy?" I asked.
Quinn smiled again. It felt like a knot came loose in my chest.
"I really didn't think this would be so bad. I actually am caught up with my coursework. I thought I'd read my chapters like a good collegiate tonight and meet you for pancakes
in the morning," she said.
"Pancakes in the morning? What am I, your eighty-year-old aunt?" I asked.