Page 32 of Temptation

They didn't talk all day Monday, at least by text, but considering Tenn said Viki had come home and cooked him supper for the first time since the affair started, she was sure they had given each other the silent treatment all day. It was Joel's favourite way of handling a fight when he was in the wrong, and she had a feeling Viki was the same. It would also explain why Joel had tried to get her to stay and Viki had tried to “relax” Tenn. By ten in the morning, Joel must have decided he had punished her enough because he texted her asking if she wanted to get lunch at their “usual spot.”

I'm not in the mood for a quickie. Tenn kicked me out of the bedroom and into the spare room last night. He threw all my stuff into garbage bags and launched it across the hall!

Quinn noted that she didn't mention trying to seduce Tenn. Joel was jealous, and he wouldn't like that.

Quinn kicked me out to the spare room, too. Even got a new mattress set.

Are you serious? I'm telling you they know. She knows I was there Sunday night!

No, she doesn't. She's mad at me for not taking her seriously when she told me to clean up my act or get out.

Trust me, if she knew, we'd both know. She'd go scorched earth on us both. She doesn't hide her emotions well.

Tenn said we'd been invited bowling. You don't think she'd do something public?”

At a bowling alley? Come on. It's been two years since her last relapse, and she celebrated last year too.

I guess. Do addicts really celebrate that stuff? You'd think she'd be more ashamed of being addicted to coke.

Quinn froze. He told her she was a coke addict. Incandescent rage filled every ounce of her being. She was going to kill him. Like actually murder him. Tonight. While he slept. No, she quickly changed her mind. She wasn't going to prison for this guy; instead, she'd make him swallow every muscle relaxer in the house and tell the cops it was suicide. She barely heard Tenn come in and ask her what was wrong; the ringing in her ears was so loud. She turned the computer toward him mutely.

“Jesus Fucking Christ.” She turned her head and saw Tenn staring at the screen in disgust. “Quinn?' She felt his hand grip hers, and somehow, it allowed her to return from the out-of-body experience she was having and an idea formed.

“I was planning to kill him, but I'm gonna expose him instead.” She grabbed her phone and called Rilla. She could see Tenn watching her in confusion. But she'd explain after.

“Hey Q, how's it going?” Rilla’s cheerful voice further relaxed her and she took a deep breath.

“Joel told his whore I was a coke addict, and that's why I was hospitalized two years ago.”

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!”Quinn winced and pulled her phone away from her ear as Rilla yelled loudly, her voice full of outrage.

“You're in a library, Ril.”

“Right. Sorry. Sorry.”Quinn heard her apologize to a few people, and then she took a deep breath. She could picture Rilla pinching the bridge of her nose as she counted to ten.”What do you need me to do?”

“You still have those pictures of me in the hospital?” Rilla had taken pictures of her in case she needed them when she was planning to divorce Joel during that time.

“I do.”She said slowly.

“And the picture of you, me, Quill, and Bishop three months ago at my show's opening?”

“Of course, it's my computer screensaver. You looked fucking smoking in that dress.”

“So did you.” Quinn grinned for a second, then it faded. “I need big posters of them both printed out – use the big printer at work with my code - and come up with something witty about what happened, making sure to mention it was anorexia and my recovery.”

“I take it Joel and Viki are coming?”Quinn’s eyes scanned their text messages until she found them saying they would go.

“According to their messages, yes.”

“Then I'll do that before I leave tonight.”

“Thanks, Rilla, you're amazing.”

“Stooppp. You're making me blush.”Rilla's grin came across loud and clear.”You're amazing.”

“I'd do our usual “no, you are,” but you need to get back to work, and Tenn and I need to finish going through these messages.”

“Alright, Honey, talk to you soon.”

---