Page 13 of Fragile Heart

CHAPTER6

Quinn

After a few days,it feels like all the movie talk has died down. Most of the filming is happening in the studio now, so they haven’t filmed any more scenes in the middle of town.

Hudson, Vaughn, and a few other familiar faces have been spotted around town, but they mostly keep to themselves. Hudson has come to the diner twice since the night last week when he actually talked like a real person, and each time he sits in my section. I don’t know if he does that on purpose or just really likes that part of the restaurant.

Surprisingly, he asks me for my recommendation each time I take his order. I always try to pick one of my favorite things off the menu. So far, it seems like he’s enjoyed everything. His tips are getting a little better each time I count the cash he leaves. Part of me wonders if his tipping correlates with my level of likability to him. But then I remember that he still never cracks a smile and never laughs at my awkward joke attempts. So maybe the tips are just accidental increases. I’ll take what I can get.

On my next Thursday off, I run errands, clean my apartment, and lounge around reading a new book I just got from the independent bookstore in town. It’s one of my favorite shops. I could spend hours browsing the shelves in there.

I’m just getting to the good part in the book when I get a text from Holly.

Holly: Let’s go out tonight!

Quinn: um…

Holly: Come on. I know you don’t have breakfast shift tomorrow.

Quinn: Where do you want to go?

Holly: Just The Punch Bowl

Quinn: I don’t know. I’m already in my PJs

Holly: Well, get dressed. I’m picking you up in 20

Quinn: I haven’t even agreed yet!

Holly: Get dressed

I groan. Going out tonight was not on the top of my to-do list for today. Especially not to The Punch Bowl, which I’ve been to about a million times before. It’s the only bar in town and the major hangout for anyone between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-five. Admittedly, I haven’t been in a while.

Maybe I do need to get out. Not that I really have a choice at this point. It’s impossible to tell Holly no.

Sighing, I reluctantly push myself off the couch and go get dressed. I pull on some cutoff jean shorts and a plain black V-neck T-shirt that I tuck into the front of my shorts. Finally, I slip on gold sandals because I know Holly will be mad if I try to wear my tennis shoes.

Holly will probably be dressed to the nines, like always. I’m sure I’m her wingman for the night, so there’s no point for me to get all dressed up. Everyone in this town knows what I look like on a regular basis, and I’m not trying to impress anyone, despite my best friend’s attempts to get me to date again.

To show some effort, I put on some eyeliner, eyeshadow, and my usual mascara. This is more than I usually do, so Holly won’t be able to say I didn’t try.

There’s a knock on my door almost exactly twenty minutes after my last text from Holly. I open the door to her in a short denim skirt, fitted tank top, and big wedge heels. Her make-up looks gorgeous, and her blonde hair is perfectly curled.

“Oh good, you put on makeup,” she says after her eyes trace me up and down. “Let’s go.” I grab my small cross-body purse and slide it over my head, locking the door behind me as I follow her out. “Jake is driving.”

“Oh. Jake’s coming?” I ask. I like Jake, but I always feel a little bad knowing he has a crush on me. He’s such a nice guy, and I’d hate to hurt his feelings. I still don’t understand why he’s more interested in me than Holly.

“Yeah, he wanted to go out tonight, and I thought who better to be my wingwoman than my best friend, Quinn.”

“Why do you need a wingwoman?” I laugh.

“No one is going to hit on me if I’m just there with Jake. Duh.”

“No one is going to be hitting on anyone. It’s going to be the same people it always is,” I tell her.

“Quinn! Don’t crush my dreams.”

“Sorry. You’re right. Mr. Perfect is probably sitting at that bar waiting for you to walk in and take his breath away.” She smiles at my response. I’m not sure who she thinks will be at the bar tonight besides the normal townies. There could be a tourist or two, but it’s highly unlikely this time of year.

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