Page 66 of More than Paper

“No thanks needed,” he tells her.

She sits back on her seat and takes a sip of water.

The waitress comes over, and we order drinks. Vivian and I drink wine, and the guys each have a beer.

“What’s good here?” I ask.

“Everything,” Jamison says.

“Quinn, you want to split nachos?” Vivian asks me.

“Sounds good.” I put my menu down.

“If you’re going to do that, then we should just get a bunch of appetizers to split,” Chase says.

“Who says we’ll share our nachos?” Vivian asks.

Chase leans in and whispers something in Vivian’s ear, and she elbows him.

“We are not sharing the nachos, then.”

Chase pretends to stab himself in the chest.

Jamison’s phone rings. He looks at it. “Sorry. I have to take this.” He stands up and walks out of the restaurant.”

I look at Chase. “Does Jamison seem stressed to you?”

He looks like he’s about to say something but smiles. “Long week.”

“Is that it?”

Chase changes the subject. “How’s your new position, Quinn? Jamison said, you got a promotion you didn’t want?”

“I did, and it’s horrible.”

“Did you start looking for a new job yet?” Vivian asks.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I doubt I’m going to find anything in this job market. Especially with my industry the way it is now.”

“Jamison said you wrote some awesome stories. Why don’t you publish them?” Chase says.

He told him?

My face heats.

“Jamison read your stories?” Vivian asks, looking hurt. The girls have asked for years to read my stories, and I’ve never let them.

I can’t believe Jamison told Chase.

“It’s a long story,” I tell her.

I decide changing the topic is best. I say the first thing that pops into my mind. “Where were you when Xander punched you?”

“In a restaurant.”

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