Page 17 of Chasing Me (Beyond Me #2)

QUINN

I CHECKED MY PHONE, hoping to have heard from James, but no one had texted. I knew today he’d handed in his portrait for consideration in the show. I thought of that awful teacher giving him a hard time after all his work, and wanted to punch her in the face.

Very unlike me.

I was so tired. The additional classes at New Beginnings were great, but between the heavy workload for the Spring semester and my two jobs, I was exhausted all the time.

Still, if I could only push till May, everything would fall into place.

I’d graduate, get a full-time job, quit my volunteer position at the nursing home, and concentrate on building a life.

With James. My master’s degree could wait for a while, or maybe I could do it part-time and take it slow.

“Quinn?” Brian stepped out of his office. “Can I see you for a moment?”

My heart pounded. I hoped I hadn’t done anything wrong.

The trial classes were almost finished, and I’d bonded with the other students, hating that we seemed to be competing for one available position.

Still, we were very alike, and I had a feeling we’d stay close no matter who was chosen for the job.

I tried to act professional and cool as I walked into his office and took a seat in the chair.

Brian didn’t sit behind the desk. Instead, he took a seat on the side, closer to me, hooking one ankle over his knee in a casual gesture that bespoke a confident, professional male.

“I’ve made a decision about the full-time position,” he said.

I held my breath.

“I want to offer it to you.”

I exhaled in a long whoosh, feeling a bit giddy and unstable even seated. A warm smile curved his lips at my obvious joy, though I tried to act cool and pretend I had always believed I’d get the job.

“Thank you, Brian. I know it was a hard decision, but I promise you won’t regret your decision.”

He nodded, scanning my face, his gaze probing mine.

That weird jump in my stomach happened again, but I ignored it.

“I know I won’t, Quinn. Believe me, I’ve been watching everyone carefully through these classes.

I was going to wait to make my decision in May, when the opening occurs, but I didn’t want you to wonder or stress during finals.

You’ve worked hard. You earned it. It’s not going to be easy.

Unfortunately, with most of these types of jobs, the hours are too long and the pay isn’t great.

Double shifts are common. I’ll need you to cover odd weekends and nights, and your schedule won’t be structured for a while.

You’ll be put through the paces, but I believe in you and what you can do for this clinic. ”

I blinked away the ridiculous sting of tears.

It had finally happened. All my hard work had been worth it, and the only thing I wanted to do was run through the streets and tell James.

I wanted to celebrate with him, to feel his mouth on mine.

See his smile and hear him tell me he always knew I could do it.

“Thank you,” I said again.

He grinned, got up from the seat, and handed me a thick folder. “This is all the paperwork regarding the job. It details pay, bonuses, benefits, and vacation policies. I’m going to ask you to keep it under wraps until I can personally speak with the others.”

“Of course.” I took the file, and we stood a bit awkwardly, looking at one another. Finally, he leaned over and gave me a quick, hard hug. “Congratulations, Quinn Harmon,” he murmured in my ear. “I see great things for you.”

I hugged him back, but there was a warm, friendly vibe that wrapped around me, and I realized as similar as we were, we didn’t have the spark I had with James. I pulled back, gave him another thank-you, and rushed out the door.

Quickly, I pulled out my phone and texted James. Have news. On my way to your place.

I ran all the way, but when I got to his apartment, he wasn’t there.

Fishing my key out of my purse, I let myself in to wait for him.

Tonight would be perfect. Maybe we’d splurge on dinner.

He was done with his art project and would get into the expo, and I got my full-time job.

We’d finally have some money and a solid future.

Feeling like I was ready to bust, I quickly called my dad and left him a voicemail, telling him I had great news. Then I decided to call my girls. Honestly, nothing good or bad happened in my life without my BFFs being involved.

Crossing my fingers they’d both be available, I brought up Skype and tried Cassie first. Her face popped up on my screen. “I’m here.”

“Cassie, I miss you!”

Cassie sighed and gave me a weak smile. “I know, sweetie. I miss you too. It’s been crazy here making sure I get my straight A’s and dealing with some stuff.”

“Stuff?” I asked. “Does this have to do with Ty?”

Her face plainly reflected pain that hadn’t faded yet. “No, he hasn’t contacted me. I have to testify at the trial in Key West soon, and I’m nervous.”

“I know. But you need to do this, and it’s going to be okay. Mac and I will arrive a few days afterward and make sure you’re okay. I wish I could get out there earlier to help, but it was hard just taking a few days off at work.”

“No, I totally understand. How is the clinic?”

I grinned widely. “I have news. Can we get Mac on?”

“Hell, yes. She knows to pick up from us unless she’s onstage.”

I laughed, dialed her in, and sure enough, my second best friend was reflected on the screen. “Hey, girls. What’s shakin?” Her country twang and gorgeous face made me miss her even more.

“Two things. One, we want to be sure you’re okay. The last time we spoke, you broke up with Austin.”

The sadness in her eyes tore my heart apart. Answer given. I guessed she and Austin weren’t doing too well. “I’m hanging in. Throwing myself into work, you know? Maybe I’ll get another top country hit due to my broken heart.”

I jumped in. “I’m sorry, sweetie. We’ll be there soon. Can you hang in?”

Mac smiled. “Absolutely! I’m keeping busy trying to clear my schedule so we can spend some quality time together. What’s the second thing you called for?”

I knew she meant it, so I accepted her answer. Cassie’s small nod said she did, too. “I have good news.”

Mac grinned. “Good, we need it. Tell all.”

“I got the full-time position at New Beginnings!”

They both squealed and clapped and made a big deal out of it. Mac thought I needed more fun in my life, and Cassie was always telling me to try to have balance, but they knew how hard I’d worked for this.

“I can’t wait to celebrate!” Mac announced. “Congratulations, darlin’. You so deserve it.”

“I never doubted you,” Cassie swore. “Do you start after graduation?”

“Yes, I already put in for vacation for Spring Break, so that’s still clear.”

“I bet James is just as excited,” Cassie mentioned.

“I’m waiting to tell him. Figured I’d call my girls first.”

“You better!” Mac warned. “Forget that ‘bros before hoes’ crap. It’s BFFs before boyfriends!”

We all laughed, chattered a bit, then finally ended the call.

I dropped onto the couch, checking to see if he’d texted back yet, and tried to enjoy the few moments of happiness and satisfaction. I was hard on myself, so I figured after a few days, I’d be on to the next goal to conquer.

But for now, in this moment, life was just about perfect.