Page 69 of Waiting for Friday Night

He leaned back and held up a hand. “Then I’ll keep my thoughts to myself.”

She meant what she said, but she also liked knowing he felt the same as her. She needed to sort out exactly what she wanted from Quinton. A relationship? Sex? A one-night stand to get it out of her system?

His cell phone rang. He pulled out the phone and frowned at the screen.

Halle rose on her toes and tried to see his phone, but couldn’t. “Who is it?”

“I don’t recognize the number.” He slid his finger across to answer.

“Then why answer?”

He shrugged. “Could be important. Hello?” He listened for a second before a scowl covered his face. “How did you get this number?” A pause. “Yeah. No.” Another pause. “There’s no need for that. I’ll talk with you when the school hosts you and that’s it. Goodbye.” He hung up the phone.

Halle frowned. “Who was that?”

“The editor for the magazine.”

“The guy you went to school with?”

He nodded before walking away from the ground beef section to the chicken. Halle followed. No way was he going to clam up and not give her more details.

“What did he want?”

“To hang out when he gets in town.” He pointed to the case. “Breasts or thighs?”

“Breasts. Why don’t you want to hang out?”

He looked at her as if she’d grown a third eye. “We didn’t get along in high school.”

“And again, maybe he changed. You’re adults now.”

His face hardened. “I don’t care how much he changed. We’re not hanging out.”

“Well, you can’t be rude to him. Not when he’s judging the town.”

“I have my reasons.” He picked up a family pack of chicken breasts.

“What are they? Maybe hanging out with him will help us win Best Small Town. Don’t you want to help the town?”

He leaned a hand against the shopping cart. “Help the town, yes, but if it means hanging out with that asshole, then hell no.”

This was the first time she’d seen Quinton close to being angry. For someone who was so in control, the response surprised her. Quinton holding a grudge back to high school seemed out of character.

“The mayor asked you to help. You can’t back out now. What happened? I’m sure you two can work it out now.”

Quinton watched her with flat, angry eyes. “Remember when I told you about the accident that kept me from getting a scholarship? Well, he’s the reason why. He bullied me throughout high school and when a scout noticed me and not him, he and his friends beat me up and broke my leg. Hell will freeze over before I ever hang out with him.”

Twenty-One

Quinton stood on his front porch and waved as his parents’ van pulled into the driveway. He sent up a quick prayer that they wouldn’t be too over-the-top with this meeting. He hurried down the steps and went to the passenger side to open the door for his mom.

She got out and immediately wrapped him up in a bear hug. “It’s my baby! Oh, it’s been too long since I’ve seen you. Let me take a look at you.” She leaned back to eye him. His mom was tall and thick with dark eyes that missed nothing. Her hair was styled in an intricate twist in the back with curls in the front and she wore a flower-printed flowy top with wide leg pants.

“I haven’t changed since the last time you saw me,” he said after pulling back.

His dad was already out of the car and heading toward him and his mom. “Yep, still ugly,” his dad said with a laugh. Willie Evans was shorter than his mom and Quinton. With a friendly face, dark skin and a joke always ready. He wore a light blue T-shirt and jeans belted tight.

Quinton only grinned and pointed. “Everyone says I look like you, so...”

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