Beauty and the Billionaire

"Then, it is clear that Ms. Thomas discovered the move on her own and there was no direct coaching involved. Now, if you'll excuse me." The judge disappeared back into the ballroom with Anya on his heels.

"That was awful," I said. I reached for Quinn, but she stepped back.

"Kind of like this whole morning. I can't even enjoy my one success."

"You're right. It was a huge success. You should be proud."

"Really? Where was all of that an hour ago? You know, when you ignored me in the ballroom. I know I'm just a newbie, but I thought maybe we were closer than that," Quinn said.

"I know, I acted stupidly. I thought you wanted your space. I mean, with your father watching and everything that happened yesterday."

"Yesterday is exactly why I thought I could expect a little more from you," sh

e said.

Her eyes flashed over me and I remembered them turning to dark brown chocolate as she had melted underneath me. The memory was enough to make me feel hot again.

I cleared my throat. "Was that before or after you quit your nursing program and then agreed to go back and live with your parents? I'm sorry if I had some trouble keeping up."

"If it’s so much trouble, then why do you keep butting into my life?" Quinn asked. "It’s either you or my father telling me which way to go and I'm getting sick of it. I came here and did a great job on my own, and not only does that go unacknowledged, but I'm accused of getting my skills directly from you. No one believes I can do anything on my own." She looked towards the doors and bit her lip.

"That Evan seems to believe you did just fine on your own," I said.

"And what's with the jealousy?" Quinn asked. "Coming from a man that spent the night with a friend who clearly has the hots for you, it seems ridiculous."

"You know it’s not like that between Anya and me," I protested.

"No. I don't know that. You just expect me to believe it. Just like my father expects me to believe that what he decides is best for me. I'm sick of it! Life should not be this complicated."

She dodged around me and headed for the doors.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To get a cab."

"Come on, let me drive you home," I said. "It’s the least I can do to make it up to you."

"Don't you have work to do?"

I shook my head. "It’s optional. I'd get paid, but I don't have to do it. And right now, the most important thing to me is driving you home safely."

She did not talk as we found the car and started towards Summerlin. I racked my brain to find a safe subject to talk about.

"So, what would you like your non-complicated life to look like?" I asked.

Quinn frowned out the window. "That's easy. All I want is a job that I like that supports me and lets me be independent."

"Sounds practical." I wondered how much her parents had lectured her the night before. "What happened to using your talents? The game today showed you are really good."

"Turns out I'm really good administering emergency first aid too," Quinn said. "So I don't see anything wrong with finding both a job and a hobby that I love."

"The hard part is figuring out which is which," I said. "It took me years to realize gaming was more than just a hobby for me."

"Well, not that many people can make a lifestyle out of it. You either have to be well-connected, experienced, and sponsored like you or filthy rich like Anya. I didn't see many other people like that today. Everyone else had day jobs, but they were not enjoying themselves any less," Quinn said.

"True. But you stood out," I said.

"So does Anya. Are you going to tell me what's going on with her or not?"