Page 10 of Maybe You

Shit, shit, shit!

Now my stomach jolts for a whole other reason as a faint hum of panic sets in.

“Uh-huh,” Sutton says cheerfully. “I broke in.”

Quinn lets out a deep sigh. “You know, my grandfather once told me having friends was overrated. I didn’t believe him at the time because frankly he was more than a bit eccentric. I now see the error of my ways. He’d be so happy that I’ve converted to his philosophy.” Somebody mutters something in the background. “It’s Sutton.” Quinn’s voice is muffled now. “He broke into the pool.” Sleepy laughter rings out through the speaker, then Quinn’s voice comes through clearer again. “Well, at least my boyfriend seems to think it’s funny.”

There’s some rustling and then a door closes with a click on the other end of the line.

“What do you want, Sutton?”

“Okay, so I broke into the pool. Took a little dip.”

“As one does at… one fifteen in the morning?! Oh, fuck you,” Quinn says in an exasperated voice. “You realize there’s a fifty-fifty chance I’ll be up in less than four hours, following Steph around the neighborhood for God knows how many miles while he tries to run his thoughts away?”

“Have fun. Do you want to hear this or not?” Sutton asks.

“No. I really, really don’t. I would’ve happily gone on in blissful ignorance.”

“Yeah, well, I got caught, so I’m your problem now.”

Quinn mutters something unintelligible.

“By the police?” he finally asks. “Am I your one phone call?” He raises his voice a bit. “Yes, officer, I do want to press charges.”

Sutton’s eyes find mine, and we’re back to that looking he claims he enjoys so much.

“There’s this guy here,” he says.

“Please tell me you didn’t drag somebody in there with you. Goddamnit, Sutton! You’re going to pay my water bill and for the cleaning job if you had sex with somebody in my pool. I teach swimming there. To kids!”

“Yes, yes, you’re very noble. And, no, I didn’t bring anybody with me. It’s your employee.”

Quinn is silent for a moment before he says, “Wren?”

“We didn’t get to introductions yet. Let’s see… Brown hair, insanely blue eyes, slightly shorter than me, so I’d guess a bit under six feet or so?”

“Sounds like Wren.”

Sutton sends me one of those smug, arrogant smiles he seems to have in ample supply.

“Wren,” he repeats. “A pleasure.”

“Jesus Christ. Give him the phone.”

“Uh… hi,” I say. “You’re on speaker.”

“Of course I am.” Quinn sighs. “Okay, Wren, I’m gonna need you to listen very carefully.”

I brace myself. I mean, I don’t think he’s going to fire me. I don’t think I did anything wrong. At least, not too wrong. Minus the insults and accusations. And hitting this Sutton-person in the face.

On second thought, things aren’t actually looking too good for me.

“You know that pathetic excuse of a tree behind the building?” Quinn asks.

“Sure?” I say hesitantly.

“There’s a shovel in the maintenance closet. Bury him underneath the tree.”

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