Page 57 of The Arrangement

“It’s cold out. Put it on before we go out.” He didn’t wait for me to make a witty comeback as he walked down the stairs with the box in hand, blanket rolled up and stuffed on top. I looked at the empty boxes I would need to break down from the nightly inventory, but that could be a future Georgia problem.

I paused before following him, turning to look one more time. Well, I was never going to look at that loft the same again. And something deep inside of me wondered if that would be a bad thing.

Chapter 28

Georgia

When I woke up the next morning, it wasn't due to my alarm but rather the insistent buzzing of my phone. Blinking my eyes open in the soft glow of the morning light, I fumbled for the phone lost in my twisted sheets. I didn't even bother to look at the caller ID; I just answered blearily, "Hello?"

"Clark? You need to get up." I sat up, looking around at my silent apartment, Hannah still curled up on the pillow beside me.

"Quinn?"

"Yes, get a coat on. There's something outside." Immediately, I looked out the window, which didn't do much since it just faced a tree to see a sliver of the parking lot. I don't know why I obeyed, getting up and stumbling to my closet. My muscles still felt pleasantly pliant after our "work" last night and I had slept like the dead.

"Are you putting a coat on?" came the voice over my speaker as I pulled a heavy jacket from my closet and slipped on my house shoes.

"Yes, yes," I grumbled, shuffling to the front door. "Is someone hurt or something?"

"No, there's a surprise, and I have to go to work, so I can't wait any longer." He sounded excited and nervous at the same time. What the hell was going on?

I didn't even bother locking my door, the early morning sunlight nearly blinding me as I took my first steps out of the apartment complex, the phone still held to my ear.

"Come to the parking lot," Quinn petitioned before hanging up, the phone going silent against my ear. I sighed, rubbing my hands over my ear and attempting to smooth my bangs down as I walked around the side of the building. This had better be good.

"Quinn, this better be good—"I stopped, bracing myself against the old oak that cracked the parking lot with its roots, and stood staring.

Quinn stood there, hands dug deep into his pockets, already in his outfit for work with crisp suit pants and the peaking of a white button-up slightly revealed beneath his jacket. He looked nervous, and now I could see why. Because standing next to him was a man with a clipboard. And the man with the clipboard was standing next to a sleek black sedan with a large red bow wrapped around it.

I opened my mouth. Then I closed it. Sebastian Quinn cleared his throat and said, "Consider it a bonus. I hit 15,000 subscribers last night. And that was in a very big part, to you." He said this quietly, out of earshot of the bored man in overalls holding the clipboard, looking cold and bored.

"15,000?" I squeaked, my hands coming to my mouth. "Wait, Quinn, did you buy me a car?" He shrugged as if it was no big deal at all.

"Like I said, it's a bonus. And a write-off for me, so it's really no big deal." The large man crossed his arms, looking at the car and then back at me for a response.

How was I going to respond? Did I accept it? I mean…a car?

"It's in your name; that's why this guy is here. The car is paid for, tax and tags included. Obviously, you have to get your title, but I'm covering it all." Motioning over to the car dealer, a clipboard was shoved in my hands by the new annoyed man.

"Just sign the highlighted parts, and I'll get out of your hair." It was more a demand than a request; the man was already looking wistfully over at his large truck whose hazard lights were on and carrying a few more cars in various states of repair.

Quinn saw me hesitate, looking over at my new ride, whose hubcaps hadn't even touched a curb yet. The bow billowed slightly in the wind, and I swallowed back the swell of emotions that nearly overtook me. Instead, I cleared my throat and signed, handing it back to the man who barely glanced at me as he hustled back to his work truck.

"Anyway, I’ve got to get to work." He handed me a pair of keys, shiny and new. It even came with an auto-start so that this winter wouldn't be terrible during those overtime shifts. "Enjoy, you earned it."

Quinn turned to go, hands still shoved in his pockets. As he walked to the car, the sounds of crunching leaves trailing his footfalls.

"Quinn!" I yelled, keys clutched into my hands so tightly I knew they were leaving marks. He stopped and turned to look at me, his expression unreadable. "Thank you."

He shrugged, a smile touching his lips and revealing that small dimple. "You too, Clark." I waited until after he left to open the car and sit on the leather seats. Taking a deep breath, I inhaled the rich leather and new car smell until I was dizzy.

He had bought me a car.

The club was too loud,and my dress was too tight; I wiggled it back down my hips for the thousandth time, a constant reminder that Sarah's body shape was much different than mine. But the one dress I had for "special" events could be found on the floor of my closet, molted with cat hair since, of course, Hannah decided my black dress would make a perfect little bed.

Sarah pulled me back onto the dance floor; her lips curled into a smile extenuated with the bright red lipstick as she shook her hips to the music that the DJ was blaring through the speakers that shook with intensity. Smiling despite myself, I spun my best friend in a twirl before allowing the warmth of the alcohol to take control of my body, allowing my inhibitions to lower just a bit.

I tried to focus on having fun with Sarah, not how I felt likeeveryone was staring at me, as if they would know that I didn't usually dress this nice or listen to this music. Like they knew the dress I was wearing was borrowed. Deep down, I knew no one was looking at me, and it was just my nerves, so I took another sip of my cocktail because I refused to leave it on the table for obvious reasons.

---