Chapter 12

"So let me get this straight," Trish said, sipping from her glass of orange juice. "What you're saying is, you've been sleeping with your boss per an arrangement that you both made to be fuck buddies, cum chums, phuck pals—"

"Trish." Cassie cut in, shaking her head. "Get to the point, will you?"

Trish rolled her eyes. "Buzzkill. So Quinn, you've been fucking your very hot boss and now you feel like he's trying to get you to fall in love with him just for kicks and that made you break up the arrangement?"

Quinn sighed, looking around their usual spot, the diner she'd brought Michael to two nights ago. "Yep. That's pretty much it."

"So this June girl, he also had an arrangement with her?" Cassie asked.

"Well no." Quinn said. June hadn't mentioned anything about an agreement between them and Michael had said there was none. "I don't think so. He did say it was just sex."

"Then why are you jealous?" Cassie asked, watching her.

Out of them three, Cassie was the most cool-headed. She was the best one to go to for advice, if one wanted to hear the unadulterated truth. Trish on the other hand would probably dish out advice on living life carefree, having fun with reckless abandon. And she, Quinn, was neutral. She hardly had anything to say on any topic as she tended to mind her business as much as she could. Plus, it wasn't just about not having anything to say. It was also that she barely went anywhere or did anything fun. In simpler words, she was the boring one. Whatever she lacked socially, they made up for it.

Quinn matched her gaze. She wasn't jealous. At least, she didn't think she was. It was such a foreign emotion to her that she probably might not recognize it. But she didn't think she was.

"I'm not jealous." She said stubbornly.

"Yes, you are. It's so obvious." Trish said through a mouthful of chips. "You like him."

She thought about denying it but then again these were her best friends. If she could lie to anyone, it wouldn't be them. "Maybe a little." She shrugged, picking at her salad with a fork. The vegetables suddenly became more interesting.

"I think you're jealous because you started liking him and now you feel betrayed." Cassie said.

Maybe there was an inkling of truth in that. Quinn pursed her lips. She did feel betrayed. She'd resonated with June, given that they both had feelings for the man.

"Do you think it was a bad idea to call things off?" She asked.

Trish scoffed. "Fuck no. Hell, if my husband cheated on me with Michael Rhett, I wouldn't even be pissed. I'd be proud."

Quinn laughed. "He doesn't swing that way, trust me. I've seen how he is around breasts."

"And you don't have a husband." Cassie added.

"Thank God because I don't want one." Trish chuckled. "Men are only good for fucking. I prefer leave emotions at the door."

"You're insane." Cassie shook her head at her though she was laughing.

"Always, bitch." Trish blew her a kiss before turning to Quinn. "So what about this Delia chick? Who is she?"

Quinn shrugged. "I have no idea. June only said she was the love of his life."

"I'm beginning to think this June isn't as innocent as you make her out to be. I mean, why would she tell you that?" This came from Cassie.

Quinn wasn't sure. "Maybe because she was trying to look out for me?"

"By setting you up for a heartache? Yeah, I don't think so. Women are ambitious and will stop at nothing to get what they want. The crazy ones go to the extreme. If they can't have you, no one else will." Trish said.

Was that what June had been trying to do? Keep her away from Michael by telling her all those things? "I don't know. She looked really sincere."

"Bitch, I can look sincere and lie straight to your face and you wouldn't suspect a thing. It's called acting."

"I second that." Cassie spoke up, gulping down her apple juice. "I've seen her do it."

"Well, maybe, maybe not. It doesn't matter. I already ended things with him anyway, there's no going back." She finally said.

"And how did Michael take it?" Cassie asked, signaling to a waiter for a refill of her juice.

"He was pissed at first but then he accepted it. Things are weird at the office. He won't even look me in the eye."

"Has it occurred to you that he might actually like you?"

It had. "I thought about that. But after yesterday, I don't know what to believe." And it made her hurt all over just thinking about it. It didn't feel right.

"You know," Trish began. "You have a tendency to self-sabotage your romantic life."

"What does that mean?"

"I mean that you run away whenever you think you might actually like someone."

Cassie added at the look on her face. "We're not saying it's a bad thing—"

"Yes, I am." Trish nodded firmly. "It's a terrible thing."

"—we're just saying you do this unintentionally as a defense mechanism. It could be that you're doing it now." Cassie said.

"You are doing it now." Trish sighed. "You do it all the time, love."

Quinn stuffed her mouth full with salad before answering. "Name one time I did that. Just one."

Almost immediately, "Two years with that hot co-worker of yours. He started getting close to you and you panicked and completely shut him out. Sophomore year, Brain Hanks with the small goatee. You told him off because he asked for a kiss. Senior year—"

"Alright, alright." Quinn held up a hand. "I get it now, thanks."

Trish shrugged, picking the tomatoes out of her burger before taking a big bite. "You're welcome."

Okay so maybe they did have a point. She could see it now. It wasn't her fault that she guarded her heart as fiercely as she could. She'd seen Cassie go through a messy breakup and Cassie was probably the strongest person she knew. She'd refused to eat and as a result, she'd lost a good amount of weight. She became a shell of herself. It had taken a series of interventions and lots of orgasms to pull her out of bed.

Nah, she'd pass, but thanks. She couldn't put herself and her vibrator through that.

"I don't want to get involved with him again. It's better this way." She said to them.

"Okay. If that's what you want." Trish said then added a "Pussy" with a heavy cough.

Quinn rolled her eyes at her and Cassie laughed.

Cassie's black wavy hair fell like a curtain around her shoulders. Her full curvy body was every man's dream. With her beautifully arched brows and dark eyes, she had a constant hooded, sultry look that only created a deep aura of sensuality around her. Her lips were pink, full and plumb and all natural, they would've put Kylie to shame.

Cassie was calm and collected, and she never made any decision without first thinking it through. She was a calculated person on the outside and only her friends knew the extent of her sexual prowess on the inside.

Trish was a redhead, smaller and petite in size compared to Cassie. She possessed a ridiculously tainted sense of humor and an intimidating knack for always saying her mind. "You only live once" was her motto so she made it a point of duty to live everyday like it was her last, consequences be damned. She was more open about her sexual life than the two of them and wasn't afraid to share details. She had thinner lips and green eyes almost like emeralds. She was a beauty, and it was no wonder there was a different man every day.

She had small tits and was not scared to show the world. Trish invented the word 'risqué'. Right now she was wearing a black see-through net crop top that displayed her black bra and big boyfriend jeans that made her ass look good.

Quinn loved her friends. They were all so different yet so alike and they never judged her. They were always willing to help her with anything at all even if it meant beating someone up.

"What about the guy Trish hooked you up with though?" Cassie asked, plopping a piece of carrot into her mouth.

"Uh, he was alright. Not my type though. Kept going on and on about how much money he had and his accomplishments. I was bored through the entire date."

Trish choked on a laugh. "Oh, I knew you'd hate him. We all do at the office. I wish I could've seen your face."

"You're a piece of shit and I hate you." She stuck her tongue out at her and Trish did the same.

"You're both immature." Cassie said.

"What about you, Cass? Any new man on the block?" Trish asked.

Cassie was a fashion designer and Trish was a lawyer. They both excelled in their various walks of life.

"Nope. No men. I'm too busy for that. I have a client that ordered ten dresses for her bridesmaids. I barely have any time to use Gladiator." She whined and Quinn chuckled at how young she looked.

Gladiator was the name Cassie called her dildo/vibrator. It was weird but it was what it was.

"Well, people make time for what they want to make time for. If Gladiator is important to you, I think you know what to do." Quinn tried not to laugh as she spoke, bringing out the words one at a time.

Trish didn't bother with formalities. She busted out laughing, laughing harder when she snorted.

Cassie flipped them both, pouting her lips. "I swear after this job, I'm going on a vacation with Gladiator. Just me and him around the world."

"Go get yourself a man, weirdo. That thing is creepy as fuck." Trish scrunched up her face.

"Shut up." Cassie muttered.

Quinn chuckled, taking in another forkful of salad. "But sincerely speaking though, isn't it weird you named your dildo?"

Cassie shrugged. "He doesn't disturb, doesn't nag, gives me steady orgasms and the only time he whines is when I don't charge his battery. I think I'm good."

"Look at Quinn. Her man does all of that and more. How many heads has she got?" Trish asked dryly.

Quinn swallowed her salad. "He's not my man."

"Do you have feelings for him?"

"Well, yeah but—"

"Does he nag?"

"No but still—"

"Does he not spend money on you?"

"He does."

"And gives you steady orgasms?"

"Fuck yes."

"Then what's your point?" Trish smiled, obviously proud of herself for that little successful interrogation.

"All of that doesn't make him my man." Quinn said.

"Kind of does." Cassie put in, eyeing her. "And I wish you wouldn't run from this. You deserve to be happy."

"Not with Michael. He's not the right person."

"Then who is?" Trish asked. "You're twenty-five and you've never had a boyfriend. Don't you think it's weird?"

Quinn shook her head. She didn't care about that. It never mattered to her. "No."

"Mark my words. You're going to be fifty and old and alone with seven cats in your one room apartment. By that time, your pussy would've been loose and shrunken and you'll regret not falling in love. Mark my fucking words."

Quinn laughed in disgust. "That's disgusting, Trish. What the fuck?"

"I'm just saying. Don't run from this. Don't you want to know if something's there?"

She did. She'd thought about it all night it had almost taken a sacrifice to the gods for her to fall asleep. What if he was actually telling the truth and he did care about her? What if she was just self-sabotaging like Trish and Cassie said? What if there was something there? She liked him already. What else was there?

"Maybe," She answered in a small voice. "He's even paying me to paint his mother."

"Really? How much?"

"Five thousand."

Cassie spat out her orange juice. "What?"

Trish choked on her burger. "Holy shit. That's a lot of cash."

Quinn laughed because it wasn't everyday she managed to surprise her friends. "I know. It was non-negotiable."

"Damn." Cassie muttered. "Just how rich is this man?"

"A lot rich." Quinn answered and she didn't know why she was feeling proud. "That's why I'm concerned about him spending too much on me, so I don't feel like he's trying to buy my love."

"Hell, he can buy me any day. I'd happily take cash. It's a win win. He gets what he wants and so do I." Trish sighed dreamily, staring into a distance.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "You're a fucking prostitute, Trish."

"Whatever. Money rules the world." Trish replied chirpily. "How's the sex?"

"Oh, it's amazing. I don't know where he learnt how to use his tongue but boy, am I grateful for it."

They burst out laughing, the annoying sound of women gossiping.

"I have to give it to you, Quinn. I didn't think you could pull it off. Michael Rhett? You hit fucking jackpot." Trish said approvingly.

"Mm-hmm." Cassie nodded.

She supposed she had. He was a billionaire for God's sakes. "Yeah. But it's not like we're dating or anything and I'm not fucking him for money."

"Doesn't matter. It's obvious there's something in your pussy that keeps him coming back for more. What are you using?" Trish teased.

Quinn giggled. "Shut up."

“I’d love to bag me a billionaire.” Cassie cooed. “A sugar daddy to pay my bills.”

“Bitch, you can pay your own bills.” Trish scoffed. “I’m the one in need of a sugar daddy.”

Quinn rolled her eyes, chuckling. “You can both pay your own bills, for Christ sakes. You’re fucking sluts.”

They laughed, spending more hours talking about everything and nothing at all. But at the back of her mind was Michael and the hurt in his eyes when she’d mentioned Delia. Who was she? It was obvious from his reaction that they had history. She probably had no right to demand any explanations, but she wanted to know.

She had been the love of his life according to June. Had she been his first love? Why did the thought of him being with someone else irk her?

She’d told her friends that she had feeling for him, but she hadn’t told them how intense they were. How they broke her concentration and relentlessly turned in her brain. They’d told her not to run from whatever it was she was feeling. Easier said than done. They weren’t the ones who were at risk of losing their hearts to a man she wasn’t even sure could handle it. As a child, she never dreamt of getting married like the rest of the girl her age. She never dreamt of a Prince Charming or a Knight in Shining armor who would drive her away into the sunset. It had just been her and her paintings.

The feelings she had for him were like a storm. On some days she was scared they would bring down her walls with force and then some days they were quiet, tranquil and in tune with the wind.

She hoped to God they wouldn’t consume her.