Page 9 of The Pursuit of Her Happiness

Enzo looks at me, then squares his shoulders, and faces Buck and Madison. “I am a Congressional. As a prospect, it is my duty to tell you that someone needs to get inside before Langley hurts Ford too bad. Ford pushed Chastity to the ground and started opening his pants, even though she said ‘no’ like a bunch of times.” I gasp in shock, my hand going to my mouth as my heart starts racing and bile churns in my gut.

“Pres?” Madison remains while most of the brothers run inside. Everyone is yelling but I can’t make out what’s happening inside the clubhouse and I’m more concerned with my boy. “Something is wrong with Ford,” I whisper hoarsely. Pres eyes me with a narrowed glare before his nostrils flare with a deep inhale. He nods curtly once in agreement. “This isn’t like him. Something…he needs help.”

Hayes joins us, his arms crossing over his chest. “Madison. I think I have an idea where Ford can go.”

“We’ll discuss it at church. Round everybody up, I’m not waiting on this shit. Church in 15 minutes.” Madison stomps off.

“PROSPECT!” Betty yells once Madison is inside. “Stacy and I will put plates together, take them to the officers in church.” Cask, Wheat, Barrel, Enzo, and Sammy rush to do their bidding.

“Quinn.” I spin on my heel to find Tilly sitting at the picnic table. “Come eat, they’ll be a while.” I nod absently, sit next to her and shovel food into my mouth, not really tasting much of anything. I can’t make heads or tails of what’s happening with Ford. The man I’ve become friends with is nowhere to be found. Instead, some pod person with a serious attitude problem has taken over and I’m not the only one reaching the end of their patience with him. “Let the guys deal with Ford, Quinn.” She bites the inside of her cheek, clearly holding something back.

“Go ahead, I won’t break.” She chuckles but turns on the bench to face me.

“You don’t need to tell me what’s happened between you two, it’s clear something has. And it’s also clear it wasn’t a positive experience. Do you think…could you be triggering for him?”

I rear back in shock, “What?” She shrugs apologetically but doesn’t backstep. She meant what she said and now that the thought is out there it sort of makes sense. “Maybe. How could I…?” I don’t want to relive my confession in his room, but maybe there’s some truth to her theory.

Audrey sits down again at the table, glancing over her shoulder at the clubhouse, “He wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine before you showed up today, but he was behaving at least.”

I laugh humorlessly, “Wonderful! I bring out the worst in him.”

“Quinn, he brings out the worst in himself. But I do think something about you, perhaps what you represent, causes him to…act out.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have come today. Polk said Madison—”

“My ol’ man demanded your presence today, Quinn. I don’t want to betray club secrets, but…”

Stacy interrupts Betty, “You are loved, sweetie. By members and ol’ ladies alike. You belong here.”

“Thank you.” I blink back tears. They can have no idea how much those words mean to me.

“You can properly express your gratitude by agreeing to the blind date I set up for you.”

“WHAT?” I stare at Betty with my mouth wide open, my eyes practically bugging out of my skull. I can’t have heard her correctly.

Stacy, Aud, and Tilly cackle while Betty simply loads up her fork and takes a bite. “Friday at 7, I’ll text you the details. Audrey will bring Enzo, Marco, and Salvatore here after school. Pack an overnight bag for them, just in case.”

“Just in case of what?” I ask dumbly, how did…why did…what’s happening?

Stacy giggles, “Oh, honey, if you have to ask, it’s clearly been too long!”

Quinn 5.

Looking outside my home office window, I take in the sunshine and blue skies and sigh. Normally, my headaches are from shitty weather, messing with my sinuses, but maybe today’s is just from stress. Nerves. A riot of murderous butterflies that have taken up residence in my stomach.

I’m 36 and I’ve only been on a handful of dates, and most of them in the last few weeks. Except I selected those dates after carefully reviewing their online dating profile, not that it made a difference in weeding out the weirdos. Big Sturgill…enough said. My date tonight is completely unknown to me, and Betty chose him. What criteria does she consider important when choosing a date for a friend of the club?

“Ahhh!” I whisper-scream, even though I’m alone in the house. I can’t believe I agreed to this. After everything that’s happened with Ford, and the dates I’ve already had, I really should be taking the idea of becoming a nun more seriously. I rub my hands over my face, digging my knuckles into my eye sockets.

Huh. My face feels…there is no feeling in my face. I click the mouse, log out momentarily, and step across the hall to the bathroom. The left side of my face is slack. I force my lips into a smile, but the left side doesn’t budge. What the hell? Back at my computer, I open a web browser and type in “headaches and facial paralysis”. Ok, Bell’s Palsy. That’s not terrible…right?

Grabbing my phone, I scroll in my contacts and press the button to connect. Polk answers on the second ring.

“Quinny.”

“Hey, Polk. Sorry, I know you’re busy.”

“I always got time for you, Quinny.” I can hear the smile in his voice.

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