A Different Kind of Forever - By Dee Ernst Page 0,75

at some publicity thing, just last week He was being stalked by some bulimic blonde who couldn’t keep her tongue out of his ear. Of course, I prefer my boy toys a bit taller. Pure logistics, you know. You two must be a good match, though. He wouldn’t have to stoop. Ah, Harris.” Quinn had come up, placing his empty glass on the bar. “I was just telling the delightful Diane here about her boyfriends’ exploits in Londontown.”

“And if she has a lick of sense, which I know she does, she won’t believe a word.” Quinn took Diane’s hand and patted it. “He’s a terrible liar and an incorrigible trouble-maker. Please ignore everything he said. They’re serving. Shall we go in?”

The rest of the evening was a pleasant blur. Diane put Derek’s words out of her head. The food turned out to be delicious, and after the dinner was finished, and the official part of the evening was over, Diane followed Quinn into a small, dark lounge, where she sat and listened to Quinn, Derek, and a few others talk about the theater. It was her favorite kind of conversation, the insiders dish. It was almost two in the morning before she even realized it.

“Quinn, what about the car?” She asked, shamefaced. “I’ve been sitting in here making that poor man wait.”

“It’s his job to wait,” Quinn said mildly. “He’ll take you home now. Unless you’d rather stay? We could get you a room, I’m sure.” His hand had been resting lightly on her upper arm. Now, he touched her cheek. “Or we could just take a cab to my place.”

Diane shook her head slowly. “No, Quinn.”

He took her chin in his hand and kissed her lips. “You’re beautiful tonight, Diane. It would be such a lovely end of a lovely evening.”

Her lips were tingling, and she felt a slow rise of heat in the pit of her stomach. Her body was remembering another touch, Michaels’ soft mouth. She could feel herself starting to blush.

Quinn kissed her again, longer this time, but she stepped back, away from him. “No, Quinn. Please.”

Quinn pursed his lips, and put his hands in his pants pockets. He jingled the coins in his pockets nervously. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to presume.”

“I think I should go home now.” Diane said quietly, and Quinn walked her through the hotel doors, and waited silently with her until the car came up to take her home.

Derek Shore came down the steps and stood beside Quinn, lighting a cigarette. “Is she the reason?” he asked casually.

Quinn glanced at him briefly. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, come now. I know we’re not close friends, but we’re in the same brotherhood. Surely I’m entitled to a few confidences.”

Quinn raised his eyebrows. “Brotherhood?”

“Yes.” Derek took a long drag. “We’re one of the select few in theater who have worked with your ex-wife in the past five years without actually fucking her.”

Quinn let out a short laugh. “Yes.” He glanced at Derek again. “I met her two years ago. We fell in love. I thought it would be easy, getting the divorce. Who knew there’d be such a fight? And now it appears I’ve returned too late.”

“Ah, yes. She and I were talking about him. I’ve met him, you see.”

“He’s younger, apparently.”

“Much. And quite charming. Rather attractive too, if you like the Drop-Dead-Gorgeous-Blue-Eyes type.” He stubbed out his cigarette. “Is she in love with him?”

Quinn thought. “She never said. He’s in love with her, apparently.”

“Well, that’s not the same thing at all, is it? You’ve got the upper hand here, my friend.”

“Really? And what’s that?”

“Well, you’re here and he’s not, and you know what they say about love. Location, location, location.”

Quinn chuckled. “I thought that was real estate.”

“It’s all the same, isn’t it? Every time you take the plunge, you hope it will be a perfect fit and you’ll stay forever. With real estate you pay up front, of course. With love, you pay for the rest of your life.”

“Ah, there’s that old cynicism. I thought for a moment you were getting romantic on me.”

“If you want her, make her remember. Don’t be such a bloody gentleman.”

Derek walked back into the hotel. Quinn stood outside for a long time, looking into the darkness.

Angela stopped her in the hallway on Monday. Diane was hurrying to Sam’s office, her mind racing, and she went right past Angela, only stopping at the sound of her name being called. She turned, saw who it was, and broke into